Stropnický: The Libeň Bridge did not need to be closed without delay

Prague - The Libeň Bridge in Prague did not have to be closed without delay. The report from experts at the Klokner Institute does not contain such a recommendation, said Prague councillor and chairman of the municipal transport committee Matěj Stropnický (SZ/Trojkoalice) to journalists today. According to Stropnický, traffic restrictions could be managed with traffic lights or the assistance of guards. He stated that Prague lacks a reconstruction plan and that the previously discussed project for a new bridge is unfeasible. The bridge, built in 1928, has never been repaired, and was closed to both cars and public transport on Friday night.

"The information from the Klokner Institute does not conclude that the bridge must be closed immediately. The information only states that at the most critical point of the bridge, which is frame C located near the staircase on the Libeň side of the bridge, the institute recommends excluding traffic over five tons and tram traffic. But it does not say that the entire bridge must be closed," Stropnický said.

According to Stropnický, Prague could have chosen a different solution than a complete closure of the bridge. He mentioned a limited operation solution through temporary traffic lights or with the help of guards who would regulate traffic.

Deputy Mayor Petr Dolínek (ČSSD) supported the Technical Administration of Communications and the decision to close the bridge at today's transport committee meeting. According to Dolínek, the administration is not capable of regulating traffic with technical means so that vehicles exceeding the maximum weight of five tons that the structure can bear at the critical point do not meet on the bridge.

As one of the compensatory measures related to the forced closure of the Libeň Bridge, the Karlín - Holešovice ferry will be put into operation starting Thursday, January 25, which normally does not operate in winter months, Dolínek announced on Twitter.

The Technical Administration of Communications (TSK) had previously prepared for the demolition of the bridge and the construction of a new one. However, the councillors rejected this in 2016 and chose the reconstruction option. The city is now waiting for a decision from the Ministry of Culture on whether the bridge is a monument, preventing it from starting the reconstruction. At the same time, according to Stropnický, the original TSK plan is also unusable. It assumes the use of the original pillars, which are in very poor condition. "They do not allow for new structures to be placed on them," Stropnický said.

After the December collapse of the footbridge in Troja, a debate erupted in Prague about the condition of the city's bridges. Therefore, Stropnický will urge the mayor's deputy Dolínek (ČSSD) to commission a diagnosis of all Prague bridges categorized in the sixth class on a seven-point scale, where seven is the worst. Subsequently, bridges in the fifth group are also to be checked.