Two Prague bridges are still not repaired after the flood

Prague - Libeňský and Hlávkův bridges in Prague, which were damaged by the flood in 2002, are still waiting for repairs. The capital does not seem to plan their reconstruction even next year; the approved budget only includes funds for preparation and project work on the Hlávkův bridge. Councilor and Vice-Chairman of the Transport Committee Petr Zajíček (KSČM) estimates that their repair will not be completed before the next electoral term, that is, after 2010.
    Four years ago, the city leadership decided to repair three bridges that were already in poor condition at that time. To date, only the Štefánikův bridge has been reconstructed. "The Libeňský bridge is not in the best technical condition; the flood has had a significant impact on it," said the spokesman of the Technical Administration of Communications of the capital city of Prague, Tomáš Mrázek, to ČTK. According to him, trams can currently only travel over the bridge at a speed of 30 kilometers per hour. According to Zajíček, the tram track is almost in as poor a condition as the track in the Vyšehrad tunnel before its recent reconstruction, where trams had to pass through at a crawl.
    According to Mrázek, the Hlávkův bridge is in somewhat better condition but should be repaired only when the Libeňský bridge is restored and likely after the completion of the ring road around Prague. The Hlávkův bridge is part of the North-South expressway, and its closure without a replacement could cause a traffic collapse.
    Three studies have already been prepared for the reconstruction of the Libeňský bridge. The first, according to Mrázek, involves a simple reconstruction, the second includes repairs of the bridge structure, and the third basically proposes demolishing the bridge and replacing it with a new expanded bridge, which would also include a bike path. "The city has not approved any of them so far," Mrázek stated. He added that two years ago, a budget was anticipated for the most extensive variant with an amount of 1.5 billion. However, according to Mayor Pavel Bém, the proposals and budgets for the reconstruction were unrealistic. At the last council meeting, he said that the city now wants to adjust the requirements and seek a more economical solution to this reconstruction.
    Opposition councilors criticize the postponement of repairs. "No one has decided what variant will be used for the reconstruction of the Libeňský bridge, and suddenly no funds are planned for its repair," Zajíček stated. "That means delaying the renovation of these two bridges until after this electoral term," he added.
    The Libeňský bridge dates back to 1928. It was designed in the cubist style based on the project of architects Pavel Janák and František Mencl. On its site, a temporary wooden bridge constructed in 1903 previously stood. On its opening, the bridge already had an asphalt road surface as well as a structure for tram traffic. The bridge itself has a length of 370 meters, and together with the earthen ramp on the Holešovice side, it measures 780 meters, making it the longest road bridge in the metropolis.
    The bridge over the main riverbed of the Vltava between Štvanice and Holešovice is ensured by the Hlávkův bridge, which dates from 1908 to 1911. The bridge was widened at the turn of the 1950s and 1960s. It is adorned with reliefs 2.65 meters high, which were carved directly into the concrete walls above the heads of the island pillars. In the corners of the main arches are medallions of twelve main figures involved in the construction of the bridge. The sculpture "Work and Humanity," located on the left abutment, is by Jan Štursa.