Prague wants to preserve the railway bridge at Výtoň and add a third track to it

Prague - Prague has supported the reconstruction of the railway bridge at Výtoň in its current form; the construction of its third track is also crucial for the city. This was voted on today by the city council. The Railway Administration (SŽ) earlier announced an intention to replace the monumentally protected upper structure of the bridge with a new one, which sparked a wave of criticism. SŽ and the Ministry of Transport then organized an international symposium on the issue; seven out of ten participating experts recommended replacing the structure in their statements. Transport Minister Martin Kupka (ODS) previously said that he wants to decide on the next steps by the end of the year.

SŽ had previously announced an international architectural competition for the design of the bridge, the results of which were presented last year. The winning project plans for only the lower part with the pillars to be preserved, while the current riveted structure is to be replaced with a new one.

According to the resolution adopted today, Prague agrees on the necessity of adding a third track, while also recognizing the cultural value of the bridge and supporting the quickest possible reconstruction "while preserving as much as possible of the character, mass, and spirit of this structure, which is represented especially by the arching riveted construction over the Vltava." The resolution also states that the decision is not for Prague to make, but for the Ministry of Transport and SŽ.

The councilors also recommended that these institutions work on a comparison of the schedule and pricing of solution variants from an independent institution, and they called on SŽ to organize a professional seminar for councilors on the bridge issue. The mayor's deputy for transport, Zdeněk Hřib (Pirates), added that from the city's perspective, the transport issue is clear and that there is a need to increase the bridge's capacity. According to previously considered variants, in the case of a total reconstruction, the third track would need to be built alongside the current bridge on a new structure.

During the council meeting, representatives from the initiative "Don't Demolish" spoke, whose petition for preserving the current form of the bridge has been signed by 14,680 people. Through one of the initiative’s members, Václav Girsa, president of the Czech National Committee of ICOMOS, supported the preservation of the bridge in an open letter, stating that the bridge is demonstrably repairable and that its preservation in its current form should be a priority due to its value. On the contrary, Jiří Grund, a representative of the initiative "Výtoň 21," who represented local residents, expressed support for the replacement of the structure. "When a train passes at Výtoň, it feels like an earthquake," he said, adding that in a modernization costing billions, the needs of the locals should also be considered and the bridge should be built according to modern standards.

Recently, SŽ and the Ministry of Transport had ten selected experts assess the options for further proceedings at a professional symposium. According to their published opinions, most recommended replacing the existing structure. For example, according to Jiří Kolísek, director of the Klokner Institute at CTU, the repairs that would ensure resilience to expected traffic loads and sufficient lifespan seem unfeasible. Other experts stated that the bridge is in poor condition and its reconstruction would be expensive, lengthy, and the result would have significantly lower longevity than a new bridge. On the contrary, Swiss bridge expert Eugen Brühwiler expressed support for the reconstruction.

The railway bridge at Výtoň was commissioned 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 spans the Vltava today. According to experts, the structure is a significant technical cultural monument in an exposed part of the Prague Monument Reservation. In the past, SŽ unsuccessfully sought to remove the monument protection from the bridge.