In the Liberec region, there are again sections where salt will be used in the winter. Chemically, the road workers will keep 872 kilometers of regional roads of the second and third class in passable condition, which is 11 kilometers more than last winter. However, salting is not possible everywhere, in some places local governments prevent it, in others nature protection does not allow it. Salting will be done for example in Dětřichov, Heřmanice, in the direction of Větrov or in Bílé Potok, Jan Růžička, Director of the Regional Road Administration of the Liberec Region, told ČTK.
Due to the reconstruction, the third-class road from Mníšek through Oldřichov v Hájy in the direction of Raspenava will remain closed to traffic over the winter, but road workers will keep it passable in case fire engines, rescue services or the police need to pass through it. “Those who don’t go through Oldřichov, so that they don’t have to go through Frýdlant, go to Raspenava through Větrov, it’s narrow there and that’s why salt will be added there during the winter,” added Růžička. Until now, the third-class road was only filled with sand or crushed stone.
Winter maintenance of second and third class roads is provided by the regional company Silnice LK, which is in charge of 2,055 kilometers, of which 57.5 kilometers remain without maintenance in winter. Most of them are little-used third-class roads that are not used by public transport, the exception being road II/290 around the Souš dam, which is closed to traffic for the winter to protect the source of drinking water. In winter, road workers will sprinkle 1,048 kilometers of roads with crushed stone or sand, 56 kilometers will only be plowed without sprinklers. The regional company already has sufficient stocks of sprinkler, it buys in the summer.
The Liberec Region is largely a mountain and foothills area, which is demanding and therefore expensive for winter maintenance. In the last 15 years, winter maintenance in the region cost an average of 124 million crowns per year. The most expensive so far was the winter of 2012/2013, when maintenance cost the regional coffers 153.6 million crowns. The cheapest was the winter of 2013/2014, when winter maintenance in the region cost less than 74.8 million. Last winter, the region paid 142.6 million crowns, roughly ten million crowns less than in the winter of 2022/2023.
According to the deputy mayor of Liberec, Jiří Šolec (ANO), Liberec, with a population of 100,000, is already ready for winter. Technical services will keep over 394 kilometers of roads and 167 kilometers of sidewalks in passable condition, roughly 40 percent with salt. Stocks of salt and other sprinkling materials are ready. In the case of salt, however, the technical services are limited by the capacity of the temporary hall, the original one was destroyed by corrosion, and the temporary hall can accommodate roughly 40 percent of the required amount. The new hall will cost 39 million crowns, construction is being prepared. Winter maintenance of the regional capital costs around 40 million crowns every year.
Source: www.tyden.cz
