Bypass Jihlava

Around Jihlava on the Modernized Bypass

Bypasses of large cities where major routes intersect are an important part of road infrastructure. They divert traffic away from city centers while allowing drivers to travel more smoothly and safely. For this reason—also due to temporary traffic restrictions during construction—bypass upgrades are among the most closely watched projects. Last year, the capital of the Vysočina Region also underwent extensive repairs. In Jihlava, builders reconstructed several sections of the city bypass.

Safer and more modern roads were also achieved with the involvement of Colas CZ, which joined forces with Eurovia. Within the CE Jihlava–OK Ráj consortium, they reconstructed a 4,706-meter section of the I/38 road between the grade-separated interchange with Jiráskova Street and the roundabout near the settlement of Ráj, including the Jihlava tunnel. The contract for the Road and Motorway Directorate (ŘSD), which Colas CZ carried out roughly half-and-half with Eurovia as the lead partner, included resurfacing (including interchange ramps), replacement of three overhead gantries, installation of new guardrails and a noise barrier, and repairs to two bridges.

Since road I/38 serves as a key bypass of Jihlava on the route from the D1 motorway southwards to Moravské Budějovice, the project was carried out in phases. Work began at both ends of the section: in the north, in May, with repairs to the pavement of the Jiráskova interchange ramps; in the south, on sections near the roundabout by the Ráj garden colony. Both sections were repaired under alternating one-way traffic controlled by traffic lights. With the start of the summer holidays, work moved to the main part of the bypass between the Jiráskova and Pelhřimovská interchanges, including the 300-meter Jihlava tunnel, lasting until early September. For drivers, this was probably the most challenging phase: the entire section was fully closed and traffic had to follow detours. During the final phase in the first half of September, however, alternating traffic was reinstated and controlled by traffic lights. This time, the builders focused on repairing the bridges near Pístov, where they also replaced a noise barrier about 300 meters long.

The entire 4.7-kilometer section of the Jihlava bypass was reopened last September, with finishing works continuing under traffic until mid-October. And how do the builders evaluate the project?
“I think the most challenging part was organizing traffic and detour routes. From a technical standpoint, the most demanding tasks were the complete replacement of three steel traffic gantries near the Jihlava tunnel and the work on the bridges,” says Vít Weselý, Regional Manager for the Vysočina Region at Colas CZ.

The work may have gone smoothly partly because Colas CZ felt somewhat at home on the Jihlava bypass. The section from the bridge over the Jihlava River to the Ráj roundabout had already been built by this construction company, within a consortium, between 2002 and 2004 as a relocation of the I/38 road, which originally ran through the regional capital. And Colas CZ continues to maintain a strong presence in the region.