Praha still does not have a company for the construction of the footbridge in Radotín two years later

Prague – The Prague City Hall has not finished the selection process for the company that would build a new footbridge across the Berounka River in Radotín, replacing the current one which is in poor condition, even after more than two years. The selection of the company was complicated by a complaint to the Office for the Protection of Competition (ÚOHS), which sided with the complainant. Prague spokesman Vít Hofman informed ČTK that the city hall filed an appeal against the decision.

The bridge, built in 1994, is in poor condition due to floods in 2002 and 2013. In 2014, it was temporarily supported with steel props, and further reinforcement was done in April 2018. According to earlier information, the structure was supposed to be replaced by this year at the latest.

The city hall announced a tender for the construction of the new bridge in October 2018. However, a complaint arrived at ÚOHS claiming that the conditions favored a specific company. Hofman stated that the city hall modified the conditions in response to the complaint, but the complainant did not participate in the tender.

The antitrust office subsequently ruled that the modifications to the conditions could have influenced the selection of the supplier and decided to cancel the tender. According to the city hall, the selection was not influenced, and an appeal was filed against the office's decision. "Unfortunately, it is not known how long the process will still take; this is entirely at the discretion of ÚOHS," Hofman stated.

Preparations for the new bridge have been underway since 2014. It is expected to be 170 meters long and will lead in a different direction than the current one – it will connect to K Radotínu street on the right bank and to Nad Berounkou street on the left bank. The estimated costs for construction in the tender were set at 61.9 million crowns.

Prague has long-standing problems with the condition of its bridges and footbridges. In December 2017, a pedestrian bridge collapsed between Císařský Island and Troja, injuring four people. The city recently completed the construction of its replacement. Due to the poor condition of the structures, the city is also preparing repairs for several bridges, and recently started the first phase of the reconstruction of the Barrandov Bridge.