The work on the railway tunnels under Vítkov is finishing

Prague - Work on the railway tunnels beneath Vítkov in Prague is nearing completion, and their construction will be finished by the end of the year. Ondřej Šuch from the construction company Skanska reported this to ČTK. The tunnels will be part of the so-called new connection of some train stations in the metropolis, and thus railway corridors. The cost of this construction will be approximately eight billion crowns, and it is expected to open in December 2008, about two years earlier than anticipated.
"Currently, floors, walkways, and technologies are being installed in the tunnels," said Šuch. "At the beginning of next year, the laying of tracks and installation of overhead lines will begin," he added.
The tunnel closer to Karlín will be 1316 meters long, of which 1151 meters are excavated. It will be double-tracked and will connect the main station with Libeň station. The company Subterra began work there in August 2005.
The tunnel closer to Žižkov will be 1365 meters long, of which 1251 meters are excavated. Work was initiated by Metrostav in May 2005. It will also have two tracks for bi-directional connection between the main station and Vysočany and Holešovice stations.
In addition to the two tunnels that form the core of the new connection, companies are constructing railway bridges. The eastern viaduct Sluncová is 322 meters long. Workers are currently constructing pillars, supports, and load-bearing structures. Another viaduct to the west, Masarykova and Husitská, measures 322 meters. A load-bearing structure is being created there, bridging Husitská street. Another bridge, a three-track one at Balabenka, is completed, and workers are working on new tracks. A road viaduct between Krejcárek and Palmovka, which was opened last December, is also part of the project.
Originally, trains were expected to pass through the railway junction as late as 2010. Thanks to new technologies, the construction period has been shortened by two years. In 2009, only finishing work and, for example, planting greenery will remain on the line. "It is clear that this project could not be implemented without sometimes significant traffic restrictions, both road and railway, and that is why we are very pleased that the construction period has been significantly shortened," said Jan Mitlöhner from Skanska.
The construction of the new connection will allow the integration of railway transport into the system of integrated public transport. The connection will also link the most important railway corridors and improve transport between Prague and the municipalities of the Central Bohemian Region. The railway will leave its current routes around Vítkov, and instead, paths for pedestrians and cyclists will be created.
Construction work on the project, whose investor is the Railway Infrastructure Administration, began in 2004. It includes the overall modernization of all tracks, the construction of ten railway and two road bridges, two grade-separated intersections, and two tunnels. The construction is being undertaken by a consortium of companies called Pražské spojení led by Skanska ŽS. Besides Metrostav and Subterra, another member is Stavby silnic a železnic. Funds are coming from the State Transport Infrastructure Fund.