Prague changed the design of the inner ring road connecting to Blanka

Prague - The Prague City Hall has commissioned a redesign of the project for a section of the City Ring Road called Vlasta, connecting from Pelc-Tyrolka to the Blanka Tunnel. Compared to the earlier plans, the tunnels have been extended, the exits from the tunnels have been changed, and the layout of some intersections has also been modified. New plots of land for construction will be created in some areas. The new plan was presented to the public today by Deputy Mayors Adam Scheinherr (Prague Sobě) and Petr Hlaváček (for TOP 09), along with architects and designers.

It has not yet been decided when the city will begin construction on this section of the ring road. Similarly, it is unclear how much the entire project will cost. "We are putting together the investment costs with the designers," Hlaváček said in response to a CTK inquiry.

A significant change from the original plan is the extension of the tunnels. Over the approximately ten-kilometer section, they will be extended from the original 4.2 kilometers to 8.5 kilometers. According to architect and former mayor Jan Kasl, who participated in the project, the designers had to deal with the protection of the banks of the Vltava River in Povltavská in Prague 8. Originally, cars were supposed to travel on the surface in one direction, but they will now go in both directions through the tunnel under Bílá skála. A recreational area will be created on the riverbank.

There will also be the Libeň Connector underground, which will lead from Libeň to Vychovatelna. "The whole project serves to connect the upper and lower Libeň," Kasl said. The city has abandoned the planned intersection on V Olšinách Street, which would have brought cars into the old development in Strašnice. There will also not be a major intersection at Jarov.

The designers aimed to keep the intersections as far underground as possible, allowing only outlets on the surface that could be surrounded by buildings or greenery. By reducing the original highway intersections, the city will not have to purchase as much land as originally planned. The exits from the tunnels will now be designed as intersections with traffic lights instead of roundabouts, allowing traffic to be regulated according to the current situation.

The new plan will allow for more greenery and the expansion of tram lines. New tram connections could in the future link Černokostelecká and Českobrodská, and from Spojovací, passengers could eventually travel to Malešice. New so-called development areas intended for construction could be located between Palmovka and Vysočany, where the original proposal included an elevated roadway, or in Malešice.

The new variant should not prolong the preparation and construction time compared to the previous proposal. "We will strive to obtain a favorable zoning decision by the end of the election term. I believe that if we approach it in a way that does not destroy the area, it will lead to smoother negotiations with the city districts, because the original solution guaranteed enormous resistance from citizens, who would be negatively affected. The most complicated aspect is not the implementation but the procedural perspective and the permitting process," Scheinherr stated. "The solution we propose is not technically more complicated. From a preparation standpoint, there is no hitch," Kasl added.

It is still unclear whether Vlasta will be built in parts or all at once. "Constructing in parts may disturb people for longer; in some cases, the drastic approach (building as a whole) is better. But this will still be resolved," said designer Pavel Šourek.

The city is constructing the city or inner ring road from its own resources. It operates in the section from Pelc-Tyrolka through the Blanka tunnel towards Prague 6 and 5, as well as through the Strahov tunnel and Mrázovka to the Barrandov bridge and the Southern Connector. In the eastern part of the city, it ends at the Štěrboholská radial road. About half a million residents live within the ring. The first section of the ring started operating in the 1980s, and the Blanka tunnel complex was last opened in September 2015.