Prague will buy land for greenery near the Prague Ring Road for 110 million CZK

Prague – The Prague City Hall will purchase land near Běchovice for approximately 109.5 million crowns. A so-called greenbelt and noise barrier will be created there for the future section of the Prague Ring Road designated as 511 between the D1 motorway and the Hradec Králové highway. This was approved today by Prague councilors. It is unclear when the construction of the ring road will begin. The investor is the state through the Road and Motorway Directorate (ŘSD), which, according to Deputy Mayor Adam Scheinherr (Prague Sobě), is expected to purchase the adjacent plots under the actual construction next year.

Of the total area of land that the city will purchase, 77,930 m² is owned by Xaverov Trade company, and 38,566 m² belongs to Agrotrade company. According to SeznamZpravy.cz, these companies are owned by the family of the Minister of Agriculture Miroslav Toman (ČSSD).

The plots that the city will buy have a total area of 116,496 m². Based on a memorandum with the Ministry of Transport, the city has taken on the responsibility of purchasing strips around the ring road that are intended to protect residents. In the case of Běchovice, a noise barrier, which is 30 to 40 meters high, is intended to protect residential development from noise.

"I believe we are purchasing the most crucial plot that has been discussed for several years," said Scheinherr. He added that through this transaction, the city will have acquired about half of the parcels needed for the green belts. "The ŘSD should subsequently also proceed with the acquisition of the part that is located directly under the construction. This should happen in the first quarter of next year," the deputy added.

He also mentioned that for the construction of the barrier at Běchovice, the city might use earth excavated during the future construction of metro line D or the inner ring road. "This would save us on landfill fees for these constructions, which is also a significant amount," he said.

When construction of the section of the Prague Ring Road will begin is unclear. The construction received a positive opinion in 2019 during the environmental impact assessment, but according to earlier statements by Scheinherr, the project has not progressed since then. "Not a single plot has been acquired, the construction does not have a zoning decision, and all of Prague is paying for it," he recently stated.

Section 511 measures over 12 kilometers and is planned to have four multi-level intersections. The construction, which will connect both motorways, will also include two tunnels. The entire Prague Ring Road measures approximately 80 kilometers, and currently, about half of it is in operation.