Budimex has officially started the construction of a dry flood protection polder in Kutřín in the Chrudim district. The cost of the investment, which includes the construction of a 146-metre-long dam and the revitalisation of two kilometres of the Martinicki stream bed and the complete reconstruction of the bridge, is CZK 564.5 million. The works will last almost three years.

On Monday, June 17, the largest Polish construction company started the implementation of its second contract since entering the Czech market. For CZK 564.5 million, the company will build a flood protection polder near Kutřín in the Chrudim district.

” Earthworks related to securing the slopes are underway and the injection of the rock mass under the dam has begun, preparations are also underway for the first reinforced concrete works related to the construction of a test section of the dam in order to confirm the design assumptions ,” says Krzysztof Tomczuk, Contract Manager at Budimex SA.

‎– This is not an easy construction project. One of the biggest challenges of this construction is to make the concrete structure at a sufficiently high level, ensuring the reduction of shrinkage cracks – adds Krzysztof Tomczuk.

Over the next three years, the Polish construction company will build a dam with a length of 146 meters, a maximum height of 17.8 meters above ground level and a crown width of 5.67 meters. A paved road will be located on the dam. The retention capacity of the facility is expected to be 3.6 million cubic meters. The flooded area with full retention capacity will cover 67.5 hectares, which corresponds to approximately the size of a hundred football pitches. A two-kilometer section of the Martinicki stream bed will also be modified. The cost of the investment is CZK 564.5 million.

‎– Currently, more than 20 equipment units are working on the construction site. This number will soon increase – adds Krzysztof Tomczuk.

After the completion of construction, the dry reservoir on the Krounce will protect the areas in the catchment area of the Novohradka River, into which the Krounka flows, from flooding. Construction of the polder began in 2021. However, due to the rising prices of materials and the need to change the technical design of the project, Povodi Labe s.p. agreed with the original contractor to terminate the contract.

Budimex has extensive experience in the implementation of hydrotechnical investments. He carried out construction contracts m.in. in the ports of Szczecin and Świnoujście, the Płonie Canal on the Martwa Wisła and the Rydzyna reservoir. In December last year, the company completed the reconstruction of the Żelazna  reservoir – one of the most important flood protection investments in southern Poland. In January this year, Budimex also completed the construction of a flood protection system in Krosno Odrzańskie.

‎– We are currently implementing over 80 infrastructure projects in Central and Western Europe. Our ambition is to develop into an international multidisciplinary group focused on providing services in the construction, energy and other key sectors – says Krzysztof Sokołowski, Director of the Czech and Slovak Market at Budimex SA.

Budimex is already implementing its first contract in the Czech Republic for the construction of motorway infrastructure.It is a 7.6-kilometre section of the D35 motorway between Džbánov and Litomyšl. In addition to Polish and the Czech Republic, the company is also active in Slovakia, where it is currently completing the construction of a major road junction connecting the D1 and D4 motorways near Bratislava. It also carries out contracts in Germany as well as in the Baltic States covering the construction of high-speed rail sections as part of the Rail Baltica project.