To bring attention to the matter, our Reader, a monument enthusiast and Bolesławiec aficionado, contacted us (he wishes to remain anonymous). In his view, the illumination of the structure was installed in an exceptionally unattractive manner. “It is barbaric,” the man said in a conversation with IstotneInformacje.pl. – “The viaduct appears on all the posters advertising Bolesławiec, but the city is doing absolutely nothing to look after it.”
According to the Reader, the problem lies in the cabling. It was barely noticeable when the viaduct had a darker shade. Now that PKP is restoring its original color, the unattractive cables may stand out even more. “I do not understand how the historic-monument conservator agreed to this. I spoke with the construction managers, and they said that no one from the city had taken an interest in it,” the Bolesławiec resident noted. – “I do not know what it will look like after the modernization, but if the spotlights return to their place, it will be barbaric.”
The man also raised the issue of the area around the viaduct. “This place has incredible potential. Concerts and outdoor events could be organized there, just as in Wrocław on Słodowa Island. A beautiful boulevard could be created there,” he said. He added that it would be worthwhile to rebuild the footbridge by the viaduct, which once connected both banks of the Bóbr.
We waited a long time for a response from the municipal authorities. Agnieszka Gergont, the office’s spokesperson, wrote tersely in an email to our editorial office: “The city intends to install the illumination in an aesthetically pleasing manner.” We also learned that this year the municipality plans to organize outdoor events on the MOSiR grounds (Spacerowa Street). The spokesperson added that “funds for rebuilding the footbridge were not provided for in this year’s budget. However, rebuilding it in the future is being considered, as is developing the boulevard along the Bóbr.”
Asked about the illumination, Mirosław Siemieniec, press spokesperson for the Wrocław branch of PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe, said: “Of course, it would be best if the cabling did not detract from the aesthetic experience, but scribbles on the viaduct cause more damage.” He added that the city would certainly install the illumination tastefully.
In a conversation with IstotneInformacje.pl, the Reader wondered why PKP did not want to make the viaduct’s pillars accessible to visitors. “Safety issues must be taken into account,” Siemieniec explained. “The so-called towers, which have internal passageways, provide railway employees only with an official access route to the upper level of the bridge and make it possible to assess the condition of the pillars. They are not intended to be made available to unauthorized persons,” he added.
The modernization of the viaduct is scheduled to be completed at the end of 2009.
(ii information)