Construction of Motorway D8, Construction 0805 Lovosice - Řehlovice: Investments into environmental measures reached more than one thousand million CZK
According to the Road and Motorway Directorate of the Czech Republic, environmental measures necessary for the completion of Motorway D8 in section Lovosice - Řehlovice (16.4 km), requested by the Ministry of Environment, reached the total of 1,043 million CZK. The largest sum - 441 million CZK was designated for the 445-m-long tunnel Radejčín.
The costly ecological measures were necessary in order for Road and Motorway Directorate of the Czech Republic (RMD) to fully meet the requirements for protection of environment in natural reserve České středohoří at the construction of Motorway D8. "The current route was chosen from many variants as the most considerate to the character of the area of České středohoří. The route leads in 96% through areas affected by human activities, i.e. over farm land and through a closed quarry Dobkovičky. The remaining four percent of this route are compromisingly led through the passage Prackovice - Radejčín (tunnel - bridge - tunnel), so that the actual surface of the landscape remains untouched," explains Petr Laušman, Managing Director of RMD. The construction also includes the so-called "ecoducts" for an easy crossing of animals. Planting of several thousand trees is also planned in the area Prackovice - Radejčín.
More than one thousand million CZK was invested primarily into bridge objects, protective earth embankments, noise barriers or biological recultivation. Besides that, RMD contributed to the forestation of the surroundings of Řehlovice. Bio-corridors, ensuring an easy movement of animals, will also be installed on this section of the motorway.
The motorway is being built with the most careful approach to environment as is the standard in the EU. "The present considerate variant of the route is a compromise with environmental organizations and it enables us to keep low the costs for the completion as well as for the speed of the motorway, necessary to divert the dense traffic from town," adds Laušman. He reacts to the recent activity of environmental organizations that urge a change in the territorial plan and propose construction of one 3.35-km-long tunnel in the discussed section. "Any changes in the municipal plan differing from the present variant of the construction significantly affect both the environmental plan and the time schedule. Preparation of a different variant of this mini-section would take at least another four years," says Laušman. Such delay would be caused by technical and administrative problems only; complications with further purchase of land and with solving property disputes would put off the construction even more. Const
ruction of a long tunnel would increase the costs by at least two thousand million CZK from the state Treasury.
The ecologists' current proposal for one giant tunnel is more harmful in effect. "It would be necessary to develop a technology for a continuous ventilation of the tunnel which would require a huge amount of electric power. This power would have to be supplanted by the nearby coal power plants," wonders Laušman at the imperfections of such variant.
Despite all the arguments RMD CR has prepared for local authority of the Ústí nad Labem region a special study, which compares the present variant of the construction of the motorway with projected expenses, required by the latest proposal of environmental organizations:
Arguments of RMD CR for the continuing of the current construction of Motorway D8:
Regional authority should reject changes in territorial plan connected with the proposal of construction of the long tunnel Kubačka (as proposed by ecologists) for the following reasons:
- The variant including a long tunnel would postpone the construction of Motorway D8 by at least four years.
- Expenses for completion of the motorway would increase by at least two thousand million CZK from the State Treasury.
- The long tunnel would be power demanding and thus environmentally unsuitable.
- Property issues with the purchase of further land would go on for years.
- One thousand million CZK has already been invested into environmental issues.
- The present approved variant is a balanced compromise between environmental requirements and the necessity of a quick construction of the motorway.
- Delay in completing Motorway D8 would further worsen traffic situation in North-Bohemian towns.
