Prague’s Bridge Problem

The capital is having problems with many of its larger bridges. There are dozens of bridges in a bad or very bad condition in the city. These results come from a report made in March by the Technical Communications Administration (TSK). The bridge on Bubenská Street, adjacent to Hlávka bridge, is in a state of emergency and has been closed off since midnight on Tuesday. Prague has had problems with its bridges for a long time. In December last year, the Troja footbridge collapsed, and this January, the Libeňský bridge was closed off to vehicles and public transportation.

In the report, TSK divides bridges and footbridges into seven categories. The worst categories are the fifth category which means the bridge is in a bad condition, the sixth category which means the bridge is in a very bad condition, and the seventh category which means the bridge is in a state of emergency. According to the document, about seven dozen bridges are in the fifth category, and two dozen bridges are in the sixth.

In the fifth category, the bridges crossing Voctář Street and Štorchova Street in Libeň are included. The former was constructed in 1971 and the latter in 1928. According to the document, their reconstruction will take place at the same time as the reparations of the Libeňský bridge which was also constructed in 1928. It is not yet clear when these reparations will take place.

Many bridges need repairs, not only in the city centre, but also in the outskirts, including in Hostivař and Ledec.

However, repairs have already been made to some bridges, such as the bridge over Botič in Nusle. The reparations were made in connection with the reconstruction of the tram line on Bělehradská Street. A bridge has also been repaired on Rokytka street in Zenklov in Prague 8, also because of the tram lines. A bridge on Petržílkova Street in Prague 13 was in a state of emergency, but has now been corrected by the TSK.

The above-mentioned bridge in Bubenec, Prague 7, is in an extremely bad condition. The worsening of its condition, particularly above the Vltavská metro station, prompted its closure on Tuesday evening. For safety reasons, it has been closed off to vehicles and operations have been temporarily suspended under the bridge.

Problems with the state of bridges will be solved in the long-term. TSK is now carrying out the diagnostics of the Hlávka bridge and the Legion Bridge, which are both in a poor condition. They are also preparing for the diagnosis of the rope bridge on the south junction between Zahradním Městem and Strasnice. Reconstruction is also required on the Palacký Bridge between Podskalí and Smíchov.

Author: Holly Webb