Praha will apply for a zoning decision in the summer for the adjustment of the area around the viaduct

Prague - The Prague City Hall wants to apply for a zoning decision this summer to modify the surroundings of the Negrelli Viaduct in Karlín. ČTK was informed by the city hall spokesman Vít Hofman. In the future, the spaces under the arches will be redesigned to accommodate cafes and studios. The construction work is expected to start in the first half of 2022, with an estimated cost of over 300 million crowns. Last year, design work began on the modifications around the viaduct. The investor for the transformation is the Technical Administration of Communications (TSK). The Railway Administration (SŽ) has completed the full renovation of the viaduct, which will return to normal operation on Monday.

"Currently, the concept of the transport zoning decision is being finalized; we want to submit the application for the zoning decision during the summer," said Hofman.

The reconstruction of the viaduct was overseen by SŽ. The city hall is only addressing investments in public spaces and constructions within the arches under the viaduct, where SŽ will also add engineering networks. "These arches will then be usable for shops and other services," the spokesman added.

The entire area around the viaduct will be transformed, so to speak, from facade to facade. The surfaces of roads and sidewalks will be renewed, and the traffic regime will be changed. "We will emphasize the quality of stay throughout the area," Hofman stated.

The city-approved study from the CCEA MOBA studio envisages that 45 out of 74 arches of the bridge will find new uses. There are plans for cafes, galleries, commercial spaces, coworking centers, or a branch of the city library. A new park is to be created near the bridge under Vítkov, and there are plans to create a summer stage for the Karlín Theatre among the arches in front of the Karlín Barracks. Further towards the river, Negrelli Square is expected to be developed, and modifications around the intersection of the viaduct with Sokolovská Street are also planned.

The reconstruction of the bridge began last summer, and instead of the originally planned price of 1.44 billion, it amounted to nearly 2 billion crowns. According to SŽ, this was due to the bridge's worse condition than expected. The renovation increased the capacity of the track so that in the future, trains connecting the center of Prague with Prague Airport could run on it. Other sections of this line are set to start construction in two years, beginning with the reconstruction of Masaryk Station. The upcoming line is divided into seven sections and is expected to be completed by 2028, costing over 31 billion crowns.

The Negrelli Viaduct is the first railway bridge in Prague across the Vltava River and the second oldest standing bridge in Prague. It connects Masaryk Station via Štvanice Island with Bubny. The 1,100-meter-long structure, which was put into operation in early June 1850, is a listed monument. It is named after the builder Alois Negrelli.