The Nusle Bridge will be fully reopened after repairs on November 16th

photo: Lukáš Beran

Prague - The Prague Nusle Bridge will be fully opened after reconstruction on Thursday, November 16, at 12:00 PM. This was announced to journalists today by Deputy Mayor Petr Dolínek and representatives of the Technical Road Administration (TSK). Among other things, the upper surface of the bridge deck has been repaired, waterproofing layers have been replaced, and the roadway has been fixed. The work cost 288 million crowns and began six years ago. An exhibition celebrating the 45th anniversary of the Nusle Bridge will open at the Police Museum on Tuesday.

"We want to open the bridge before the extended weekend. Minor finishing works will take place here until Christmas, which will not restrict traffic. The amount for the repair is not large considering the number of years involved, and we have not recorded any significant overruns," said Dolínek. The bridge is expected to last for another 20 to 25 years without major repairs. "There will only be surface repairs on the roadways," he said.

The bridge had issues with water leaking into the tube of the supporting structure. Water was penetrating into the areas of the subway's electrical installations, jeopardizing its operation. Work began in 2011. Initially, measures were taken to prevent water from leaking into the aforementioned tube. In the next phase, workers demolished the central cornice, renovated the upper surface of the bridge deck, laid new waterproofing layers on the supporting structure, concrete the cornices, and installed new public lighting. Then, the roadway was completely replaced.

The most extensive work was included in the third phase, during which TSK repaired the concrete structures on the underside of the bridge, consisting of massive outer supports and four pillars that are 40 meters high. In this phase, workers used a 180-ton platform suspended under the bridge, which was moved according to the progress of the work. The lower slabs of the tube were also repaired.

Both sidewalks will be wider for pedestrians. Workers removed the old concrete railing that retained water on the bridge. In their place, new guardrails and railing have been installed.

The Nusle Bridge was completed in 1973, spanning the Nusle Valley and connecting Pankrác with Karlov. There are three lanes in each direction on the bridge, and the subway runs through its tube. The bridge is 485 meters long and reaches a height of 42.5 meters at its highest point above the valley.

From November 16, those interested can view an exhibition dedicated to its history at the nearby Police Museum. It will be open until February 28, 2018, daily except Mondays and Christmas from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. On display are photographs, including footage of a load test with 66 tanks, as well as written and other documents. People can also learn about architectural competitions for spanning the Nusle Valley. The exhibition also covers the ongoing reconstruction.

According to architect Stanislav Hubička, the creators primarily took into account that it is a bridge in a city and not in a landscape. "This means no arches, but a straight line that fits with the character of the city itself," said Hubička. They also had to deal with the height and bulkiness of the pillars. They had to grapple with the decision of when heavy Soviet trains should be introduced into the subway.