The plan will see the current tram-motorway intersection replaced by a level crossing at Kamenolom, with an added roundabout and a footbridge for bicycle and pedestrian traffic. The project is jointly funded by the South Moravian Region and the City of Brno. Photo credit: KK / Brno Daily.
Brno, Aug 6 (BD) – On Monday, South Moravian regional councillors approved an investment plan for the reconstruction of a dangerous and congested junction in Brno-Bystrc. An agreement was made last year with the City of Brno to reconstruct the crossing at the cost of CZK 386 million, of which CZK 126 million will fall on the region.
Up to 20,000 cars per day pass along Kníničská, which connects Brno’s Bystrc and Komín districts and connects them to the Outer City Ringroad. Many of these drivers turn onto Bystrcká near the Uni Hobby shopping center and cross the tram tracks. At peak times, road traffic blocks the intersection, as well as the exit to a nearby gas station and shopping center. In an attempt to resolve the bottleneck, the regional and city authorities agreed on a reconstruction of the whole junction, called the Kamenolom Level Crossing.
“Today, we are seeing an increased number of traffic accidents at the crossroads,” said Roman Hanák, Deputy Governor of the South Moravian Region for Transport. “During rush hour, traffic jams form, some drivers cross the tracks dangerously, and others cannot leave the adjacent petrol station or the shopping center parking lot. The solution is a comprehensive reconstruction of the intersection to maintain a direct route for road traffic to and from Brno-Bystrc, with a tram route through and a suitable solution for cycling and pedestrian traffic.”
The Kamenolom Level Crossing proposal would reconstruct the current motorway-tram crossing into a level crossing, with the addition of an elevated roundabout. A footbridge over the whole junction would be built for pedestrian and bicycle traffic, connecting to an existing cycle path along the Svratka river.
The approval of the investment plan is a very early step in the realisation of the project. As Hanák added: “It is too early to discuss the start date. We still have a long period of preparation ahead of us.”
