Most Sokolovských hrdinů, Reinforced concrete bridge in Darkov, Czech Republic
Most Sokolovských hrdinů is a reinforced concrete bridge crossing the Olza River in Darkov, built with a straightforward structural design. The bridge features a suspended deck supported by two longitudinal arches running along its length.
The bridge was designed by the Viennese engineer Franz Rabe; construction ran from 1922 to 1925. It was declared a Czech cultural monument in 1991 and included in the Karviná heritage zone in 1992. During the 1997 floods the Olza nearly reached the bridge, and in 2003–2004 the structure was repaired and the whole bridge body lifted two metres, keeping the wall reliefs. Since 2004 it has served pedestrians and cyclists only.
The name Most Sokolovských hrdinů means "Bridge of the Sokolovo Heroes", while locals simply call it Darkovský most, the Darkov Bridge. The official name refers to the Czechoslovak soldiers who fought at Sokolovo in 1943; the sources do not describe any ceremony held on the bridge itself.
The bridge is open to pedestrians and cyclists only, providing a safe crossing over the Olza River. You can visit at any time without needing tickets or making advance arrangements.
In 2014 the Czech National Bank issued a 5,000 CZK commemorative gold coin in its Bridges of the Czech Republic series showing this bridge; the winning design was by Asamat Baltaev, then a student at the Higher Professional School in Jablonec nad Nisou.
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