Praha 2 supported the reconstruction of the railway bridge at Výton

Prague – Prague 2 supports the reconstruction of the railway bridge at Výtoň while preserving its existing form, including the steel arch structure. On Monday, the representatives of the municipal district resolved this matter. A nearly identical resolution was also approved by the city-wide council in March, and the preservation of the bridge is also demanded by Prague 5. The Railway Administration (SŽ) had previously announced its intention to replace the monumentally protected upper structure of the bridge with a new one, which sparked a wave of criticism.

SŽ previously announced an international architectural competition for the design of the bridge, the results of which were presented last year. The winning project proposes that only the lower part with the pillars be preserved, while the current riveted structure would be replaced by a new one. Transportation Minister Martin Kupka (ODS) previously stated that he wants to decide on the next steps by the end of the year.

"We are pleased that we managed to gain support across the political spectrum, bringing us closer to saving the railway bridge. Prague 2 has experience with monuments that have not received sufficient care, and it is even more important to express that our historical heritage needs to be preserved. We hope that the bridge can be sensitively reconstructed so that it remains part of the Prague skyline. After all, even UNESCO agrees with us," stated councilor Jiří Mach (Prague 2 for Us).

The results of the competition and the selected variant have provoked discontent among some members of the public and experts alike, who demand the preservation of the bridge. The Czech National Committee of ICOMOS has expressed opposition to the plan, and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre has urged the Ministry of Culture to preserve the bridge in a letter. The preservation of the monumentally protected structure is also demanded by the National Heritage Institute, and an online petition against the replacement of the structure has gathered 15,800 signatures.

SŽ and the Ministry of Transportation organized an international colloquium on the topic, where, according to previous information, seven out of ten experts recommended the replacement of the structure in their statements. For example, according to Jiří Kolísek, director of the Klokner Institute at the Czech Technical University, the repair necessary to ensure resistance to the expected traffic load and sufficient lifespan seems impractical. Other experts have stated that the bridge is in poor condition and its reconstruction would be expensive, lengthy, and the result would have a significantly shorter lifespan than a new bridge. In contrast, for reconstruction, Swiss bridge expert Eugen Brühwiler expressed support.

The railway bridge at Výtoň was opened in its original form on August 15, 1872. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, it was replaced by the bridge that still arches over the Vltava. According to experts, the structure is a significant technical cultural monument in the exposed part of the Prague Heritage Reserve. In the past, SŽ unsuccessfully sought to remove the monument protection from the bridge.