Most of the expert colloquium leans towards the construction of a new railway bridge in Prague

Prague - Most members of the international expert colloquium on the future of the railway bridge over the Vltava River between Podskalí and Smíchov in Prague support the construction of a new bridge. They believe that repairing the heritage-protected bridge would be expensive and its lifespan would be shorter than that of a new one. This was stated today by the spokesperson for the Railway Administration (SŽ), Dušan Gavenda. The colloquium was created precisely to assess the condition and future of the structure, which has long been in poor condition. SŽ previously presented a project according to which only the lower part with the pillars would remain from the bridge, and the current riveted structure would be replaced by a new one. Transport Minister Martin Kupka (ODS) recently said that a decision on the future of the bridge should be made by the end of this year.

The public has opposed SŽ's plans, resulting in a petition to save the bridge, which has so far been signed by 13,889 people. Prague 5 and the former city leadership also disagree with SŽ's approach. The president of the Czech National Committee of ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites), Václav Girsa, stated that demolishing the railway bridge and replacing it with another one is unacceptable and could lead to international disgrace.

"From the statements of the participants in the colloquium regarding the pros and cons, it can currently be summarized that they agree on the poor condition of the bridge with significant corrosion. Most participants believe that repairing the existing bridge is technically and financially demanding and has a limited lifespan with high maintenance costs," said Gavenda.

According to Gavenda, seven out of ten colloquium members expressed support for the construction of a new bridge. They recommended reusing the current structure, relocating it, and using it in a new location, for example as a footbridge. "A smaller part of the colloquium, two out of ten, considers the heritage value of the bridge to be significant enough that they lean towards its repair and view it as realistic from a safety and cost perspective. They do not consider a new three-track bridge necessary," Gavenda noted.

The colloquium agreed that the existing surveys provide a sufficient basis for deciding on the future of the bridge and that the state of the bridge is poor. They also agreed that it could be repaired, but members differ in opinion on the difficulty of such repairs. The proposed new bridge is regarded by the colloquium as technically modern and acceptable. It recommended that the ministry and SŽ discuss further steps with UNESCO.

Now former Deputy Mayor for Transport Adam Scheinherr (Praha Sobě) told ČTK in recent weeks that, considering the provision of railway transport in the metropolis, he believes that reconstruction would be the quickest solution. SŽ plans to begin work in 2026. If SŽ were to use the completed documentation from 2020, according to Scheinherr, the repairs could start up to two years earlier than the construction of a new bridge. SŽ disagreed with that in a previous statement. According to SŽ, the bridge is irreparable due to its poor condition, or the repair would be disproportionately complicated.

The railway bridge at Výtoň was opened in its original form on August 15, 1872. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, it was replaced by the bridge that still spans the Vltava River today.