Prague is preparing an architectural competition for a footbridge over Štvanice

Prague - Prague will likely announce an architectural competition in January for a bridge over Štvanice, which will connect the banks of Holešovice and Karlín. The city's council will decide on the announcement of the competition on Tuesday. Marek Vácha from the Institute of Planning and Development (IPR) informed ČTK about this. The long-planned barrier-free bridge for pedestrians and cyclists will cost hundreds of millions of crowns. The Holešovice town hall and Prague 8 welcome the investment.

The construction of the bridge has been discussed in the metropolis for several years. An architectural competition on this topic has already taken place in the past, but its results were called into question by the devastating flood of 2002, which destroyed the planned bridge. New designs must therefore take into account the possible rise in the Vltava River's water level. At the same time, the bridge should not create a vertical barrier for pedestrians.

"One option is a construction that would allow for a temporary elevation of the bridge through hydraulic elements," said Lenka Burgerová (Prague 7 for itself), a councilor from Prague 7, who will sit on the jury of the upcoming competition, to ČTK. According to her, the recently established ferry has shown that residents welcome the connection between both banks. "This season, 72,000 people used the ferry," she stated.

The bridge will be located between the entrance to the Holešovice market and on the Karlín side it will connect to the main bike path. In the middle, people will be able to descend onto Štvanice. It will be 149 meters long between Holešovice and the island, and an additional 38 meters from the island to Karlín. When the bridge will be built is not yet clear.