The extension of repairs to the Barrandov Bridge was necessitated by changes to the project

Prague – According to the construction company Porr, which is to carry out the repairs of the Barrandov Bridge for the city, the postponement of the completion date of this year's repairs has been caused, among other things, by changes in the project documentation beyond the original assignment. The company's spokesperson, Jana Mašínová, informed ČTK of this today. According to her, Porr has not violated the contract. The construction company requested on Monday, September 26, an extension of the deadline for completing this year's repairs to October 22. However, the Technical Road Administration (TSK) disagrees with the extension and plans to impose financial penalties due to the delay in work, as stipulated in the contract.

The reconstruction began on May 16 of this year. Workers first demolished the access ramp from Strakonická Street, milled the roadway, and removed the cornices, railings, and insulation. The work was originally scheduled to be completed by September 2. Due to enforced project modifications, the completion of the repairs was postponed by 27 days to September 29, and now this is the second postponement of the deadline. “The postponement is mainly due to unforeseen physical conditions that arose during the reconstruction and that, according to the contract, are the responsibility of the client. This situation has led to a whole series of changes in the project documentation; we received instructions from the client to carry out these variations beyond the original assignment,” Mašínová stated for ČTK.

Currently, the construction company Porr is negotiating with both the city and TSK, whose management has already indicated that starting Friday, September 30, they plan to impose financial penalties due to the work delay, as stipulated in the contract. “In our opinion, there has been no breach of contract, and given the very good cooperation so far, we believe this is a misunderstanding,” Mašínová added today. In the request for an extension, the company stated that the completion of the work, or rather the traffic restrictions on the bridge, would be until this year's October 22.

The Barrandov Bridge, built in 1983, is part of the city ring road and has never been repaired before. It is crossed by over 140,000 vehicles daily, making it the busiest roadway in Prague. The reconstruction of the structure is spread over several years and will only take place for part of the year each time. The total cost of the work for the entire period will be 594.5 million crowns.