The authorities have started the reconstruction of the Old Town weir for 112 million CZK

Prague - Today, builders began work on the reconstruction of the historic Old Town weir on the Vltava River in Prague. The company Metrostav won the tender for the state enterprise Povodí Vltavy, the company spokesman Hugo Roldán informed ČTK today. The reconstruction is expected to cost 112 million crowns and will last until spring 2024. According to the spokesman, the reconstruction will not disrupt possible navigation on the river, as workers will carry out the work in phases to keep the navigation channel accessible.

The historic weir is a listed monument. Today, companies deployed a walking excavator to level the stone part in the headrace. "This will be followed by the installation of a guiding pit approximately 60 meters long on the left side of the weir right next to the log sluice. In the following week starting from April 12, the gradual demolition of the original weir structure will begin," the enterprise added.

Povodí stated that the inspection findings of the weir revealed serious defects in its construction, as the wooden grid structure is deteriorating. Repairs from the late 1960s stabilized the weir, but on the other hand, the historical object was damaged by replacing stone slabs with concrete. The reconstruction will return the weir to its original form. The oak grid structure will be restored, which will have a stone filling made of large granite stones.

"Work on the reconstruction of the Old Town weir has started exactly as planned, with machines ensuring work is carried out dry over a length of approximately 60 meters on the left half of the weir near Kampa. Demolition work on the degraded wooden grid and concrete filling of the weir will follow," said the director general of the watershed, Petr Kubala.

The Old Town weir has been located on the river since at least the 13th century. Its traditional purpose was, according to the enterprise, to raise water for driving mills and for water supply usage. It served eight Old Town mills and the Old Town water tower, and on the Lesser Town bank, there was the St. George mill (later Sovovy mills) and three mills on Čertovka.