The Heritage Council does not like the environmental impact announcement for the bridge at Výton

Prague – The Czech National Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) is unhappy that the Railway Administration (SŽ) in its announcement for the environmental impact assessment (EIA) regarding the bridge at Prague's Výtoň is only working with the option of replacing the bridge with a new one and did not include the option of reconstruction. Committee spokesman Jan Štoll informed ČTK about this. The announcement is currently being evaluated by the Ministry of the Environment (MŽP), which will decide whether an EIA report needs to be prepared. SŽ spokeswoman Nela Eberl Friebová stated that the matter is now fully in the ministry's jurisdiction, and the administration will not comment further on the criticism until a decision is made.

In May, SŽ announced a tender for the designer of the new railway bridge, which is to have three tracks instead of the current two. The administration plans the work for 2027 to 2029 and estimates costs at 3.4 billion crowns. According to earlier statements, the existing bridge is expected to be moved, probably to the Modřany weir, where it would serve as a footbridge.

The Czech National Committee of ICOMOS has long been advocating, alongside the Nebourat association, for the reconstruction of the bridge instead of replacing it with a new one. Currently, they claim that SŽ violated legal conditions by omitting the option of reconstructing the bridge in the EIA announcement. "It is clear that the intention is not assessed in the announcement in full, properly, and sufficiently in terms of its impacts on the environment and on tangible assets and cultural heritage," said Committee President Martin Horáček.

In this regard, the committee submitted an official statement to the MŽP. According to them, the proposed bridge is also significantly bulkier and wider than any existing bridge in the historic center of Prague, with dimensions corresponding to an eight-lane highway. "The proposal would have a devastating impact on the unique historical panorama of Prague and would introduce a highway-type structure into the historic center of the city," believes Horáček. He added that even though SŽ claims it will preserve at least the original pillars, considering the parameters of the new construction, that is not realistic.

The EIA process is currently in the phase of a so-called screening procedure, in which the MŽP will determine whether a complete report assessing the impact of the construction on the environment will need to be prepared. "The decision on whether the intention is subject to assessment under the EIA law, including specifying conditions for the EIA documentation, is fully within the jurisdiction of the relevant authority," Eberl Friebová stated in response to the criticism. She added that if the authority decides to prepare an assessment, it will also include addressing comments. "Given the above, we will reserve our response until the MŽP issues its decision," she communicated.

However, the spokeswoman added that some statements from the committee are inaccurate; for example, the bridge is supposed to be 30 meters wide, not 32 meters. "The comparison to an eight-lane highway is also misleading; for instance, the six-lane D1 highway near Prague measures 34 meters," she stated. The proposed width is, according to her, similar to other options counting for three tracks, which both SŽ and the city council or the Ministry of Transport want. In contrast, the Nebourat association claims, citing its own assessment, that a third track is unnecessary.

The railway bridge at Výtoň was opened on August 15, 1872. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, it was replaced by a bridge that still arches over the Vltava River. According to experts, the structure is an important technical cultural monument in the Prague heritage reserve, and its riveted structure is protected as a monument. Currently, due to its poor condition, only one train set can pass over the bridge at a reduced speed of a maximum of 20 kilometers per hour at one time.