Autumn 2021 of the year the city of Ełk was among the winners of the competition "Local Government for Heritage", organized by the Minister of Culture and Heritage National and General Conservator of Monuments. The prize was awarded for implementation of the Municipal Program for the Care of Monuments.

In the last During the excitement among some Elchians aroused information about plans repair of the bridge on Ełk Lake. Expert opinion prepared in 2020 She described the condition of the bridge as bad. Commissioned by the City Hall, Design Office MT-MOST based on construction expertise, reconstruction design documentation The bridge from 1991 and its own assessment made a visual inspection of the current state technical bridge. They show that the reconstruction The bridge from 1991 has fulfilled its basic function for the last 30 years, i.e. preservation object as a road and pedestrian with maintaining its carrying capacity. Currently, the condition of the bridge is bad, mainly due to the very low strength of the concrete of the system load-bearing (arches). The designers had already pointed to the temporary nature of the renovation: "... The durability of the bridge will be limited by the material of the load-bearing structure of concrete arches. It is customary to assume depreciation for concrete bridges 100 years, so This period expires in the 2020s."

Expertise construction from 2020, based on wells taken directly from The construction of arches, showed a very low load capacity of concrete for compression. Determining such a low score required "a lot of good will" and support for the old PN-91/S-10042 standard, instead of the current, more restrictive one PN-EN 13791. To put it bluntly, the material of the bridge does not meet current standards. It should be added that from some wells it was not possible to take normative samples – concrete It crumbled in his hands. The concrete mix was described as very economical in cement, with a very bad crumb pile, uncompacted and very heterogeneous. As the primary cause of the terrible condition of concrete and depression its strength was determined by the aging process causing transformations Structural. What is worth emphasizing – the bridge was built without any construction (armament).

In As part of the expert opinion, executive errors were also found during the renovation in 1991 r. - during concrete works and concrete care. Cracks concrete samples indicate that the mixture has been allowed to freeze concrete during the setting and care of concrete. Noteworthy is the fact that during the reconstruction of the bridge there, as a result of implementation errors, It was decided to correct the bridge level by adding an additional layer Concrete. Unfortunately, this way the already weak object was weighted.

Works Renovation works carried out in 1991 led to a change in appearance, dimensions and the historical façade, and the original elements have been preserved from the original matter bridge equipment. The entry in the register of monuments omitted the fact of restrictions material object, i.e. an almost 80-year-old concrete bridge was entered with the assumed 100-year service life this type of construction. In fact, an object was entered into the register of monuments, which was significantly changed and lost Values of the monument.

With From the point of view of science, the object has exhausted the possibilities of its further Functioning. Construction and material solutions applied to its construction in 1913, subsequent damage sustained during operation war and caused by the destructive effects of water, execution errors in during the implementation of the last reconstruction, over-program completed asphalt loading of arched vaults, as well as irreversible degradation aging concrete, significantly limit the further possibility of safe operation of the bridge.

Expertise from 2020 reduced the load capacity of the object by half compared to the design one from 1990 r. Further progress in concrete degradation and decline of concrete is expected durability, which will result in further restrictions on movement: including shutdown object with car traffic and fencing only part of the width exclusively for pedestrians, until finally to exclude the object from all loads. To mean it there will be a communication cut-off from the city center residents of Grunwaldzki os., Podgrodzia, Chruściel and other towns.

Objective The city is the reconstruction of the existing bridge in terms of leaving supports together with with their reinforcement and the construction of new spans, referring to the shape of and character to the original, historical façade of the building along with extensions in the form of a gallery over the supports. The original elements will be remounted equipment (toll gates, lanterns, balustrade). The rebuilt bridge will be adapted to the current requirements for bridge structures in terms of loads, functional properties, safety and social needs, i.e. normal, safe pedestrian transport and cars, buses, vans, vehicles maintaining winter and summer order on the streets etc.

A bridge beyond meaning historical is of great importance for the functioning of the city. Conducts vehicular and pedestrian traffic over the waters of Ełk Lake. This is the only crossing and communication route connecting the center of Ełk and housing estates. Restore its technical efficiency, while maintaining its existing form Architectural and appearance, it is not only the preservation of characteristic for Ełk a recognizable symbol, but also a way to further urban planning development of the city and commune. The most important element of the renovation is to be reinforcement construction of the bridge so that it can safely perform its proper function at the while preserving its historical values architectural and urban planning.