There is no trace left of the old steel bridge in Świętoszów. Soldiers from engineering units in Głogów and Niecek (Podkarpackie Voivodeship) dismantled it completely. Soon, a modern crossing meeting all required technical standards will be built in place of the old one.
Thieves, who sneak onto the construction site practically every night, are delaying the bridge construction. “They steal everything made of metal,” says Senior Corporal Jacek Nader. “Recently, when we arrived at work, we noticed that the steel rings weighing down the pile driver used to drive in the supports were missing. Each weighs over one hundred kilos. One person would not be able to lift one. Fortunately, we found the weights several dozen metres from the construction site. Apparently, the thieves ran out of strength and abandoned them there,” adds Jacek Nader.
In addition to the main bridge, a small bridge will also be replaced. A channel supplying water to the hydroelectric power plant runs beneath it. The bridges in Świętoszów are of great importance for transportation, as they are located directly on the main road leading from Świętoszów to the other localities in the municipality and to the county centre. The technical condition of the bridges, which had not been renovated for years, was already very poor. The managing authority, the County Roads Authority, had already taken them out of service several times and closed them to motor traffic. The bridges’ service life ended in 2000 and was conditionally extended until the end of 2002.
The county authorities received the design for the new bridge from the Ministry of National Defence. The money for its construction was obtained from the government budget. The investment will cost more than 5 million zlotys, and its planned completion is scheduled for November this year.
(information from the Bolesławiec County Office)