Prague has started the construction of the Troja footbridge, which will be completed in October 2020

Prague - The Prague city hall officially started the construction of the new Troja footbridge today. It will be completed by the end of October 2020 and will cost 128 million crowns. The footbridge will be four meters wide and is intended for both pedestrians and cyclists. If necessary, an ambulance will be able to cross it. The construction will be carried out by the company SMP CZ. The original footbridge collapsed on December 2, 2017, injuring four people, two of them seriously. The city provided each victim with 50,000 crowns, and additional compensation was agreed upon with the insurance company this January.

"We did everything to start the construction as soon as possible, managing to shorten the preparatory processes. Last Friday, we handed over the construction site, and work has already begun to ensure the footbridge is completed," said Deputy Mayor Adam Scheinherr (Prague Yours).

Compared to the original collapsed footbridge, the new one will be wider and will be easier to monitor due to its different construction. The original was built using a so-called pre-tensioned structure, where cables are embedded in the concrete, for example. "All areas will be visually accessible, so the bridge inspector can easily determine if something is wrong or if any parts are deteriorating," Scheinherr stated.

The footbridge will be constructed to prevent whirlpools from forming around its pillars during floods. It will also feature collapsible railings to allow water to flow over them more effectively if needed. "This footbridge will be a beautiful piece of work. It will be an arch continuous beam made from steel profiles with a pipe diameter of 913 millimeters. It can support a load of up to 500 kilograms per square meter, and vehicles weighing 3.5 tons can cross it," said Jiří Bažata, director of the Large Projects Division at SMP CZ.

The construction company must first establish the footbridge's foundation, creating so-called sheet pile walls for the establishment of two main pillars. "These works should be completed in January, and at the beginning of the year, we will be ready for the installation of the actual steel structure of the footbridge," Bažata added.

Following the collapse of the original footbridge, police charged two men with endangering public safety. "If a criminal proceeding is initiated, we will certainly participate," Scheinherr remarked.

The leadership of Prague had all the city's bridges inspected and discovered around three hundred bridges built using the same technology as the original footbridge. "The bridges underwent an initial inspection, based on which it was determined in what order they will be thoroughly diagnosed. About 40 bridges have been prioritized for inspection, and this is already underway. This year, the first diagnostics are being commissioned, and it will continue next year," Scheinherr stated. The city is also examining bridges across the Vltava River in addition to those mentioned above.

At the end of December 2017, a ferry was launched between Císařský Island and Troja, which replaced the collapsed footbridge. It will remain in operation during the construction of the new footbridge. It will be discontinued after the new footbridge is completed. "There will be no reason for its operation," added the deputy.