The repair of Prague's Barrandov Bridge is 27 days behind schedule

Prague – This year's repair of the Barrandov Bridge in Prague, originally scheduled to be completed on September 2, is now about 27 days behind schedule. The mayor's deputy Adam Scheinherr (Prague for Themselves) told journalists today. Therefore, a third shift has been deployed since Monday. According to the deputy, the delay is partly due to the fact that there is more reinforcement in the bridge than originally expected in the project, and it is stronger as well. The reconstruction of the bridge began on May 16. Workers first demolished the access ramp from Strakonická Street, which is now being rebuilt, and they milled the roadway and removed the parapets, railings, and insulation.

However, according to Scheinherr, the delay in construction is not the fault of the construction company Porr, as it was caused by adjustments to the project necessitated by circumstances that could not have been known in advance. "It is not the contractor's fault. Hence, there are no contractual penalties," Scheinherr said.

According to him, the repairs are currently in the phase of completing the final work within the main structure of the bridge deck. "The prestressing of the steel cables within the deck is underway, and subsequently, we will be able to start on the surfaces," Scheinherr described the current state of work. The original cables inside the deck are corroded and need to be replaced with new ones.

However, while drilling holes for the new cables, the builders encountered problems at the crossbeam where the ramp from Strakonická Street connects. "We are finding that there is too much reinforcement there. Moreover, it is stronger than what was in the project," the deputy added. As a result, they have been unable to complete the work on the crossbeam for about a month. The place where the ramp connects is the most loaded spot on the bridge overall. "If we were to drill into the reinforcements, it could happen that the crossbeam would no longer function properly, so we must proceed very slowly when drilling the holes," Scheinherr said. According to the deputy, it was not possible to predict the placement of the reinforcements during the project development because they are up to ten meters deep in the concrete. Workers are now drilling the last two holes for the prestressed cables.

On the bridge, road workers are completing the so-called leveling layer, which will align the surface of the repaired section to the same height as the rest of the bridge. "On the completed parts, insulation has already been laid, including protection for the insulation. The anchoring of the parapets has mostly been completed, and curb drainage channels are beginning to be laid on the main bridge," Jakub Růžička, who supervises the construction, told ČTK. The lower insulation will still be finished.

The structure of the Strakonická ramp has already been completed, where workers today prestressed the last cables of the structure. "Now the deck and the supporting structure are already prestressed; insulation and insulation protection will now be laid, followed by the binding and concreting of the parapets, after which the railings and guardrails will be installed, and finally, asphalt will be laid. And public lighting will be added," Růžička said.

Traffic measures around the bridge are also expected to last into September. "We are currently discussing the extent of the restrictions as such, but we expect it will be very similar to what drivers are currently accustomed to," said the spokesperson for the Technical Administration of Communications (TSK), Barbora Lišková. The rotating ramp, which drivers currently use at the Lihovar, could remain open even after the completion of the disruptions caused by the bridge repair, according to Scheinherr.

The Barrandov Bridge, built in 1983, is part of the city ring road and has never been repaired. It is crossed by over 140,000 cars daily, making it the busiest road in Prague. The reconstruction of the structure is spread over several years and will only take place for part of the year. The total cost of the work over the entire period will amount to 594.5 million crowns.