The Libeň Bridge in the section over the Vltava does not have major issues and will remain open

Prague - The Libeň Bridge does not exhibit any major problems in its section over the Vltava River and does not need to be closed at this time. This was confirmed by research and measurements initiated by the Technical Administration of Communications (TSK). The currently closed flood bridge on the Libeň riverbank will remain closed due to defects. Experts have not yet decided on a solution regarding the flood bridge until the complete repair of the bridge complex. This was stated by the mayor's deputy Zdeněk Hřib (Pirates) and TSK's deputy director Josef Richter during today's meeting of the municipal transport committee.

TSK closed the flood bridge the week before last Thursday and then had the section over the Vltava examined. The reason for the closure is a joint malfunction in the section above Rohanský Island, on the so-called flood bridge, where frost has likely caused damage. The joints ensure the transfer of forces from the bridge structure to the supports and pylons.

The Libeň Bridge is a complex consisting of six bridges and was built according to the design of architect Pavel Janák in 1928. The bridge has never been repaired and is in very poor condition.

"The bridge over the Vltava does not show any major issues and there is no danger, and it does not need to be closed," said Richter. In the case of the flood bridge, TSK plans to demolish it during the overall repair of the bridge complex. It has not yet been decided whether TSK will reopen it before then.

The future of the flood bridge is being addressed by a monitoring council made up of designers, experts from the Klokner Institute of the Czech Technical University in Prague and the Brno University of Technology, representatives of TSK, and contractors. Experts evaluated four options for supporting the flood bridge. "All options have proven to be inappropriate. I will advocate for the flood bridge to be addressed as soon as possible with a final solution," said Hřib. According to Hřib and Richter, the mentioned options would be very costly and time-consuming.

The first considered option was to support the entire arch. However, changes in temperature cause the bridge to move. Therefore, the device under the bridge would need to be very complex and expensive according to Richter. The second option was the installation of a ring under the bridge, which would also need to be lifted and lowered. The third option was to fill the space under the arch with special concrete. Finally, there was the option of building a temporary bridge above it.

The defect on the flood bridge was discovered by highway workers during geodetic measurements of the arch structure and monitoring of the joints at the top of the arch of the bridge. Experts found that the load-bearing metal plates ensuring the functionality of the entire system are out of their proper position, and the concrete of the load-bearing elements is also being crushed. The problem is primarily in the joint at the top of the arch. Therefore, TSK closed the bridge.

Trams do not run along the bridge in its entire length, and pedestrians, cyclists, and automobiles are also prohibited from using the flood bridge, which serves as a preventive protection against flooding. The bridge over the Vltava is not closed. Pedestrians and cyclists can bypass the closed section via a footbridge to the Dock complex and Storch Street via a ramp to the bridge.

The leadership of Prague under mayor Adriana Krnáčová (ANO) from 2014 to 2018 planned to demolish the Libeň Bridge and replace it with a new structure, but her successors decided on a repair. The consortium of companies that will repair the bridge is led by Metrostav TBR and also includes its parent company Metrostav and the design firms SATRA and SHP. According to earlier statements by TSK director Jozef Sinčák, work could begin in the spring of 2025.