Ramparts on Wenceslas Square will not be, an agreement will ensure

Prague - The Prague City Hall will sign an agreement on the reconstruction of the lower part of Wenceslas Square with Prague 1 and the company Welwyn. The document, approved today by the Prague representatives, will ensure that there will be no ramps leading from underground garages into the square and that residents will be able to use the passageways running through the development project. A large development project, Savarin, featuring offices and shops, is being constructed between Wenceslas Square and Panská and Jindřišská streets.

According to previous plans, ramps were to be installed at Wenceslas Square for vehicles to access the underground garages. Residents and experts opposed this. Critics pointed out that the construction of ramps contradicted the interests of state heritage protection and would bring more traffic, noise, dust, and emissions to the city center.

The city and the local authority ultimately agreed with the developer that the ramps would not be built. A new solution for the project's transport service was found, utilizing, for example, elevators. Today’s approved document confirms this agreement. "The investor cooperated on this topic and together transport was resolved so that the reconstruction could be completed," said Deputy Mayor Petr Hlaváček (TOP 09).

The material includes an agreement to ensure pedestrian access through all passages connected by the project during the operation of the metro. The contract further defines the public space within the project that the public can use, which will be equipped with benches and bins by the developer.

The dispute over the ramps previously blocked the start of the reconstruction of the lower part of Wenceslas Square from Můstek to the junction of Vodičkova and Jindřišská streets. Repairs are set to begin this year. The pedestrian area will be expanded, and only vehicles with permits will be allowed to enter the square. The space for cars will be narrowed, but access to buildings will be maintained.

The leadership of Prague also plans a reconstruction of the upper part of the square, where tram tracks are to return. They should run along the path of the current car lanes. In the past, the tracks were in the center of the square. A second row of trees will be added to the square, parking spaces will be reduced, and the central space will be expanded compared to the original plan.