Prague to Modernize Flood Barriers in the City Center

The city of Prague is set to modernize and expand its flood defense system along key embankments in the historic city center.

The planned improvements will affect the Masaryk, Smetana, Alšov, and Dvořák embankments, all of which lie along the Vltava River and are vital parts of the capital’s flood management infrastructure.

City councilors have awarded the project to Environmental Building, which won the public tender with a bid of CZK 47.7 million (excluding VAT). According to Michal Hroza (TOP 09), the city’s councilor for infrastructure, construction is expected to begin later this year and will take approximately 12 months to complete.

The goal is to raise flood protection by 30 cm above the 2002 flood levels. That devastating flood remains the benchmark for all current water management systems in the capital.

Some of the older defenses, including temporary sandbag barriers, will be replaced by mobile flood barriers, which offer more flexibility and stronger protection. The modernization effort follows concerns raised during last year’s elevated water levels, which exposed gaps in the current flood infrastructure.

“Flood protection in the center works well, but we must not get complacent. We’re replacing older systems with more advanced components, and completing areas that until now relied only on sandbags,” said Michal Hroza.

Stainless Steel Structures and Concrete Walls

The first phase of the upgrade will include demolishing existing stone landing thresholds and steel anchor plates, which will be replaced with modern stainless steel fixtures similar to those already used in other areas of the city.

Sections that previously relied on sandbags will receive entirely new mobile barriers, complete with all necessary structural components. Additionally, in the Na Františku area, part of the embankment will be reinforced with a concrete wall to further increase resilience against high water levels.

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