The railway bridge at Vyton will remain a monument

Prague - The Ministry of Culture (MK) refused to remove the heritage protection of the railway bridge in Prague between Smíchov and Výton. The owner wanted to lift the protection due to repairs; previously, there was also talk of completely replacing the bridge with a new one. The Ministry's decision is not yet final, and there is a period for appeal, said the Ministry of Culture spokesperson Michaela Lagronová today.

"Based on all the gathered materials, the MK concluded that the collection of railway bridges on the Prague-Smíchov and Prague main station line exhibits the characteristics of a cultural monument, and the necessary repair of the steel structure of one or two parts of the complex does not constitute a fundamental loss of the heritage value of the complex as a whole," states the ministry. According to its heritage experts, the railway bridge under Vyšehrad is a unique technical monument of its kind in the Czech Republic and occupies a prominent place in the ensemble of historical Prague bridges over the Vltava River. They also state that it is part of the Prague skyline with a view of Prague Castle and Vyšehrad.

"The entire complex, built in the style of late classicism, is a highly qualitative architectural, urban, and technical document of the historical development of railway construction and the growth of the railway network in Prague," said the spokeswoman.

The railway bridge at Výton was put into operation in its original form on August 15, 1872. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, it was replaced by the bridge that currently spans the Vltava. However, like most of Prague's crossings over the Vltava, the bridge needs repairs according to experts.

In the past, several variants of solutions have emerged. These included, among others, a proposal for demolition and construction of a new bridge for trains and cars, building a replica, or the proposal to construct a new structure on the current pillars. The Klokner Institute of the Czech Technical University recommended last year that the railway administration not repair the bridge and replace it with a new one.

Deputy Mayor Adam Scheinherr (Prague Sobě) stated in February that Prague intends to preserve and repair the bridge while simultaneously building a new structure with a third track beside it for higher capacity.

The Ministry stated today that the restoration of the complex as a monument is possible without the collection losing its heritage value or ceasing to serve its purpose. "From the materials gathered during the administrative proceedings, it is clear that the poor technical condition of the steel structure of the bridge over the Vltava can be resolved without fundamentally disrupting the heritage value of the complex or excluding the original function of the bridge," said the spokeswoman. According to the ministry, the third track could be created by constructing a new single-track bridge next to the bridge over the Vltava.