The bridge from Prague's Holešovice to Karlín will cost 298 million CZK

Prague - The construction of a footbridge from Prague’s Holešovice to Karlín will cost 298 million crowns excluding VAT. The construction is expected to begin this autumn and will last for 14 months. This was announced to journalists today by Deputy Mayor Adam Scheinherr (Prague Sobě). The footbridge will be built by the company Skanska, which won the tender. The crossing will facilitate access for pedestrians and cyclists to Štvanice Island and will provide another connection between city districts, which has also been ensured by the HolKa ferry since summer 2015. The bridge was designed by architect Marek Blank.

"If no one appeals the tender, we will be able to sign the contract and start construction in the following months," Scheinherr said. According to him, this could happen in the autumn. "We will know the exact (date of commencement of construction) at the moment of signing the contract and if no one has appealed," he added.

Three applicants submitted bids for the tender. Among them, the city decided not only based on the offered construction price but also considering the duration of the project and another criterion was the length of the warranty period.

On the Holešovice bank of the Vltava, access to the footbridge will be at Bubenské nábřeží before the entrance to the Prague market. In Karlín, it will lead out onto the bike path along the flood barrier on Rohanském nábřeží. The footbridge will span 38 meters between Karlín and Štvanice and 149 meters between Štvanice and Holešovice.

Currently, people can only walk from Karlín to Holešovice via the busy Hlávkův Bridge or take a detour via Rohanský Island and Libeňský Bridge. They can also use the mentioned ferry. Access to Štvanice can then be achieved only from Hlávkův Bridge or by ferry. The footbridge will also serve as a connection for cyclists, linking the main bike paths along the Vltava on both banks.

Last year, Prague opened a new footbridge from Císařský Island to Troja. The original bridge collapsed at the end of 2017. However, Prague has long-standing problems with its bridges. The Libeňský and Hlávkův bridges are in poor condition, and the Palackého Bridge also requires repairs. The Technical Administration of Communications is currently repairing the pillars of the heavily used Barrandov Bridge.