The repair of Hlávkův Bridge will begin in 2020, the collector will be completed this year

Prague - The new collector that Prague is building alongside the Hlávka Bridge will be completed this October. This was announced to journalists today by Prague councilor for infrastructure Jana Plamínková (STAN/Trojkoalice). Its completion is necessary for the start of the planned reconstruction of the bridge. According to the current schedule, the reconstruction will not begin earlier than the beginning of 2020. Collectors are shafts for engineering networks, which now run through the bridge itself.

The construction of the new collector under the Vltava River began in September 2016, and the actual tunneling started in February last year. According to councilor Plamínková, the tunneling has now been completed, and the resulting tunnel connects on the northern side to the approaches of the Hlávka Bridge and on the southern side to the Ludvík Svoboda embankment and the Těšnov Tunnel. The length of the new collector is approximately 413 meters. Originally, the city estimated the construction costs at around 460 million crowns without VAT; according to Plamínková, a slight increase is expected due to the harder rocks on the right bank of the Vltava River.

The relocation of engineering networks to the new collector is essential for the necessary reconstruction of the bridge. However, the start of the reconstruction will not follow immediately, as delays emerged during the project preparation related to the need for additional structural-historical surveys demanded by the municipal conservationists. Thus, the city will likely select a contractor for the construction only next year, and the start of work is planned for early 2020 at the earliest.

Like the nearby Libeň Bridge, the Hlávka Bridge is in very poor condition. The city is preparing to repair both structures and intends to coordinate the action with regard to traffic and detour routes. In the case of the cubist Libeň Bridge, the city is waiting for a decision from the Ministry of Culture regarding its heritage protection. In the past, Prague wanted to demolish it.

Prague's collectors measure approximately 90 kilometers. In corridors that are 2.4 meters high and 2.7 meters wide, all engineering networks such as electrical wiring and water lines are laid. The deepest ones are laid up to 35 meters, while at the connections to the buildings they are approximately two meters below the surface. The city company Kolektory Praha contributes financial resources to the Prague budget from the rental of its services.