Bochotnica. It is used by cyclists and field owners. The footbridge of “self -made” near the Vistula is to disappear

The poles transferred through the river, one of which is partly immersed in the water – this is what the provisional footbridge looks like, which someone built on the Bystra River in Bochotnica (Lublin). Thanks to it, cyclists can bypass the provincial road and drive along the river. The “crossing” is to be demolished – Polish Waters decided. The mayor of Kazimierz promises that a new footbridge will be built next year.

– This footbridge has been here for a good few years. Maybe even over ten. Earlier it was wooden, now it was located from one bank to another, old power poles – says Marcin Kowal from the Municipal Sports and Recreation Center in Puławy.

It is a makeshift footbridge on the Bystra River in Bochotnica in the Puławy poviat, which is used by, among others Cyclists.

It is more pleasant and safer to drive this than a provincial road

– Thanks to it you can bypass a roundabout, which connects three streets in Bochotnica – Kazimierska, Puławska and Nałęczowska. The routes to Kazimierz Dolny, Puławy and Nałęczów converge here. There are a lot of cars in the summer. Hence, it is not surprising that cyclists prefer to bypass the roundabout and use the footbridge – says Kowal.

He adds that MOSiR organizes bicycle rallies every year on the Puławy – Kazimierz Dolny – Janowiec route.

– Families with children participate in the rally. Moving from the side of Puławy, they bypass the roundabout, enter the footbridge, and then go by the shaft along the Vistula (Bystra is the tributary of the Vistula – editor's note) and leave near Kazimierz Dolny. This is a much more pleasant and safer route than a provincial road, on which a lot of cars drive in the season – says Kowal.

Which is confirmed by the cyclist Marek Czarkowski. – Although the footbridge is a “makeshift”, it is useful. It is used not only by cyclists, but also the owners of the surrounding fields – he tells us.

Does not meet any standards and technical requirements

Cold water supervision in Opole Lubelskie (the Polish Water Water Farm is published by the ed.) Polish Waters gave until March 18.

“In the event of failure to report, this footbridge will be demolished after this date,” we read in the advertisement.

Anna Truszczyńska, a spokeswoman for PGW Polish Waters, explains that water supervisory employees went to the place on February 24 after they got information from the City Hall in Kazimierz Dolny that a resident was reported to the municipality regarding waste in the riverbed.

It turned out that the garbage was in the vicinity of the footbridge, and the building was created without the consent of the water law and without the required use agreement to occupy the land of the Treasury. In addition, as supervisory staff stated, the footbridge was made “without maintaining the appropriate standards and technical requirements”.

Is to be demolished on May 15

– The condition of this building can threaten the safety of people who use it. In addition, people using the footbridge contribute to the destruction of the escape bench and the flood embankment body. The shaft is destroyed therefore that users do not use the embankment through the embankment in the form of stairs placed on the shaft – emphasizes Truszczyńska.

He adds that the footbridge is to be demolished on May 15. Meanwhile – as reported on April 7, the Brain Board in Radom, in connection with the received application from the City Hall in Kazimierz Dolny, issued technical conditions needed to perform a new, safe and legal, footbridge.

Next year, construction of a new footbridge

Artur Pomianowski, the mayor of Kazimierz Dolny, tells us that he will ask Polish Waters to postpone the demolition date, so as not to do it on May 15.

– However, when it comes to building a new footbridge, this year we plan to make technical documentation in order to implement the investment next – he says.

He adds that the matter could have already been settled about 10 years ago, but then the predecessor of Polish waters (i.e. the Provincial Board of Melioration of Water Equipment) spent such technical conditions that the investment would cost PLN 4-5 million, and the commune's budget at the time had PLN 20 million.

– So if the footbridge was created then, there would be no money for other investments in a given year. No wonder that the then mayor gave up this idea – says Pomianowski.

There were a lot of reports about garbage

He emphasizes that the current technical conditions that the magistrate got from Polish waters are less stringent.

– Thanks to this, the investment will not consume several million zlotys, but we estimate that it will be able to close up to 500,000. zloty. With the current budget, in which we have PLN 70 million, we are able to implement this investment – says the mayor.

In the case of garbage, however, he informs that the magistrate has received a lot of applications – both from residents and tourists.

– The footbridge partly immersed in the water is a kind of dam at which rubbish stops, which at different points of the river are thrown into the water by someone or left at the shore, and then raised by the current – says Pomianowski.