Construction permit for the first section of metro line D is expected to be issued within three years

Prague - This year, Prague will begin geological surveys for the construction of metro line D, during which some parts of the tunnel will already be created for later use in the actual construction. For the first section between Pankrác and Olbrachtova, the city would like to obtain construction permits within three years, as the land issues there are basically resolved. This was stated today by the Deputy Mayor for Transport, Adam Scheinherr (Prague Self). The project manager for metro line D, Jiří Hrnčíř, said today at a municipal transportation committee meeting that the geological surveys are expected to start in April.

The geological survey will begin at Pankrác and is expected to cost about one billion crowns. The city has already contracted a firm for this. "As part of the geological survey, buildings will already be constructed that will subsequently be utilized for the actual realization of the metro tunnels," said the deputy. He added that it can therefore already be said that the construction of the new line, which is intended to connect the housing estates in southern Prague with the center, is beginning.

Under the previous political leadership, the city wanted to create a joint venture with the Penta group to develop the area around the new stations. The new city leadership does not reject cooperation with private investors, but does not intend to realize the original plan. According to Scheinherr, it is essential that offices, shops, and services develop around metro stations where there is good transportation accessibility.

The transport company and the previous city leadership argued during the preparation of the joint venture that it would facilitate land acquisition. However, according to the deputy, the municipality and DPP can manage this on their own. "Almost everything is already resolved for the first stage," said the deputy.

He added that the city also negotiated with the shopping center at Pankrác regarding transportation services. During the construction of line D, the Pankrác station will be closed for a year and a half, and therefore, the municipality plans to extend the tram line so that it reaches the metro. According to Scheinherr, this is advantageous for the development of the transport network and the integration of public transport.

This year marks the end of the validity of the construction assessment in the EIA process for metro line D, where the environmental impact of the construction is assessed. Hrnčíř stated that DPP will request an extension of the EIA. The company will then submit a request for a construction permit for the section between Pankrác and Nové Dvory in November. A change in the railway law is still required to initiate construction, allowing for the planned automatic driverless metro. The previous city leadership submitted a proposal for this change to the Chamber of Deputies last year. "I believe that we will have it (the change) by the end of February," Hrnčíř said.

In the next phase, construction will continue to Krč, where discussions about the land are still ongoing. "Today I had a meeting with Prague 4 regarding the Krč station. The district has some interests there, so we are trying to accommodate them to conclude an agreement with the landowners as soon as possible," explained the deputy.

The metro from Pankrác to Písnice is expected to cost around 40 billion, and the total investment to the Náměstí Míru station is around 50 billion. City representatives want to negotiate with the state for co-financing the line since, in their view, it is a nationally significant transport project.