The state of water management in the Czech Republic can be confirmed as being prepared for the entry of the Czech Republic into the European Union. Clearly for us- just as for the other new member countries and the existing members - the most difficult aspect is meeting the demands established in the regulations for treating and purifying urban sewage waters (91/271/EHS), for which the majority of states have negotiated a period for transition. In the Czech Republic the necessary investment costs have been calculated at 63 billion Czech crowns (in 2003 prices), or ultimately 75 billion CZK (estimating for inflation developments to 2010). The regulations required:

• The construction of sewage pipes and the corresponding sewage treatment plants at sewage source points exceeding 2000 equivalent inhabitants (thus mainly in communities - or their agglomerations - where the relevant equivalent of pollution has been met or will be met by 2010);

• Setting up adequate sewage treatment facilities in communities with less than 2000 equivalent inhabitants where there is a collector sewer system for receiving sewage water released into the system;

• Achieving a reduction in the pollution from waste discharged from the treatment plants comprised of compounds of phosphates and nitrogen by 75% at the sewage sources with greater than 10 000 equivalent inhabitants. This requirement is based on the fact that the entire territory of the Czech Republic is declared a sensitive area - that is, a territory where the deterioration of the quality of water through the burden of nutrients makes itself evident in the eutrophication and concentration of nutrients flowing out of the Czech Republic which can adversely augment the amount of pollution flowing into the seas that the European rivers flow into. This fact requires some explanation: Our water sources are or will be strongly eutrophicated if the flow of compounds of phosphates and nitrogen is not reduced. One of the ways eutrophication makes itself evident is through a growth in different kinds of algaes in the summer period, which deteriorates the quality of surface sources of drinking water and from therealso the seas into which the rivers empty (from this country, the Elbe, the Oder and the Morava via the Danube).

Brno is the second largest city in the Czech Republic and possesses an exceptional social, cultural and economic significance. Its position at the intersection point of the west-east (Prague - Slovakia) and north south (Poland - Southern Europe) traffic links, fairs and exhibition events of international significance ascribe the city of Brno with specific importance from a traffic perspective. Today the city extends over an area of 230 km2 and has a population of 383 000 people. A further 150 000 people enter the city every day. The length of the current traffic network is 951 km, of which 370 km forms part of the basic traffic network and 12 km is part of expressways. The density of the route network is 4.13 km/km².

The basic system of roads and motorways in Brno is a radial-circular layout. The purpose of this arrangement is to protect the inner part of the city and the individual residential sectors from excessive traffic and at the same time provide routes of sufficient capacity and quality for the ever-increasing traffic loads. Two traffic circulars are marked out:

The small inner ring road that encircles the historical centre of the city and distributes the traffic in the central part of the city.
The large outer ring road which maintains the dominant task of protecting the expanded central area against the intrusion of transit traffic and integrating larger parts of territory.

Today's entry in the series of reports on traffic related construction work along Prague's urban ring road features a description of the northern pre-face of the Strahov tunnel. Thus we are jumping over the section of the ring road passing through the Strahov tunnel, which has come to be quite well known to the public during the period it has been in operation. The article in this issue is aimed more at the aspects stemming from the process of preparation of the structure. The regional and technical connections will be sufficiently clear from the illustration supplement.