The Libeň Bridge designed by architect Janák is in a state of emergency

Prague - Selection of information about the Prague Libeň Bridge, which was opened 90 years ago, on October 29, 1928:

- The bridge over the Vltava River connects the left-bank district of Holešovice with the right-bank Libeň. Upstream, it is the 15th bridge in Prague, located at a bend in the river, with a road and a double-track tram line running over it.

- The Libeň Bridge was opened on October 29, 1928, to mark the tenth anniversary of the establishment of Czechoslovakia. It was designed by Pavel Janák (1882 to 1956), a prominent representative of Czech interwar architecture, and the bridge builder and engineer František Mencl (1879 to 1960). The construction of the bridge began in late 1924. Its predecessor was a temporary wooden bridge (1903), which served during the construction of the Legion Bridge at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.

- The bridge has changed its name several times over the years: Libeň Bridge (1928 to 1938), Bax's Bridge (1938 to 1940), back to Libeň (1940 to 1945), again Bax's (1945 to 1952), then Stalingrad Bridge (1952 to 1962), and from 1962 for the third time back to Libeň.

- The bridge itself has a length of 370 meters, and with the earth ramp on the Holešovice side, it measures 780 meters. The bridge was originally the longest road bridge in Prague. Its width is 21 meters. The Libeň Bridge features eight cantilevered staircases, which along with its massive railing, the division of pillars, and the concrete lighting masts, are a distinctive cubist feature.

- The bridge is currently in a state of emergency and has not undergone any significant repairs since its construction. For some time, heavier vehicles have been banned from crossing, and trams could only pass slowly and with restrictions. The bridge was also damaged in the floods of 2002.

- In 2004, there was a proposal for a radical reconstruction (or possible demolition) and expansion of the bridge. Resistance from both experts and the public led to a request for the bridge to be declared a cultural monument. Proposals were submitted by the Society for Old Prague and the initiative "Don't demolish or expand the Libeň Bridge." Opposition to demolition came from Prague 7 and civil associations.

- The Klokner Institute of the Czech Technical University, which serves as an expert establishment in the field of construction, examined the bridge last year and found that the concrete pillars are damaged by corrosion and the mechanical properties of the concrete are unstable. In December last year, the city leadership announced that it would begin repairs on the bridge even if the ministry did not decide that it was a cultural monument. The city council had already approved the repairs in 2016. The Ministry of Culture announced this February that it would not classify the bridge as a cultural monument.

- This January, the Libeň Bridge had to be closed to cars and public transport for about a month and subsequently supported. In April, Prague city councilors decided that the city would demolish the bridge and build a new one. The city leadership justified the proposal to demolish the bridge by stating that building a new one would be cheaper and faster than repairing it. Some politicians, civil associations, and the advisory council of the Prague Institute of Planning and Development (IPR) opposed this; however, the Czech Chamber of Authorized Engineers and Technicians (ČKAIT) recommended the demolition of the bridge.

- The newly formed coalition of Pirates, Prague Together, and United Forces for Prague (TOP 09, STAN, and KDU-ČSL) agreed in a joint meeting on October 10 that the bridge should be repaired. As a replacement during the repair of the Libeň Bridge, a temporary bridge should serve for cars and pedestrians next to the existing one. According to a document prepared by the Technical Administration of Communications (TSK), the preparation for building the temporary bridge will take 26 months, and the construction costs will be about 85 million CZK.