Unknown vandals damaged the Legion Bridge in Prague

Prague - Unknown vandals damaged part of the railing on the Legion Bridge in Prague over the weekend. Pieces of the railing ended up at the bottom of the Vltava River, from where divers retrieved them early this morning. Tomáš Mrázek, spokesman for the Technical Road Administration (TSK), said this today. The case is being investigated by the police, suspecting the commission of a criminal act of damaging someone else's property.
    Mrázek stated that the railing was damaged on the right side in the direction from Újezd, approximately 50 meters past the Shooting Island. "The vandals dug out three posts and a piece of the upper part of the railing," described Mrázek. According to him, the city police have temporarily secured the site.
    Divers recovered all missing parts of the bridge today, but according to Mrázek, the posts are damaged to such an extent that they will not be able to be returned to the bridge. "The upper part of the railing broke into two pieces and will likely also be unusable," he added.
    Therefore, the TSK will have to order replicas to be made, estimating the costs in the tens of thousands of crowns. According to Mrázek, the bridge will be repaired within two to three months; in the meantime, the area will remain secured to prevent anyone from falling into the river.
    The case is being investigated by the Prague police. "We do not know the perpetrators yet," police spokeswoman Eva Miklíková told ČTK.
    The Legion Bridge connects National Avenue with Újezd and the Lesser Town, and there are also stairs leading to the Shooting Island from it. The bridge mainly serves road and tram traffic, and pedestrians also have access to it. It was built at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. At both ends of the bridge, there are always two towers that originally served for toll collection.