Prague will modify the surroundings of the Negrelli Viaduct for 318 million CZK

Prague - The capital city is preparing changes around the Negrelli Viaduct in Karlín. The council approved a conceptual study today, based on which a project for the modifications will be created. The plan includes utilizing the spaces in the arches of the bridge and creating new squares or a park. The cost estimate for the changes, according to the approved study, is 318 million crowns, and the project is expected to cost an additional 25 million. The Negrelli Viaduct is currently under reconstruction, and the work is expected to be completed in about a year.

According to Deputy Mayor Adam Scheinherr (Praha Sobě), the repair of the viaduct by the Railway Infrastructure Administration (SŽDC) is focused more on technical aspects, which the city wants to complement with its own modifications. "We are trying to give it a spirit and enhance the area so that the viaduct does not split the neighborhood and brings it even more to life,” he stated. The approved study was created by the architectural-urban studio MOBA.

According to First Deputy Mayor Petr Hlaváček (for TOP 09), the goal is to create the richest possible use of the spaces within the arches of the bridge. Scheinherr added that trains are expected to start running over the viaduct in June 2020, but the reconstruction will not be completed until the end of the year. The city aims to start the modifications as soon as possible in coordination with the work of SŽDC, with which it has already agreed that the spaces in the arches will be connected to sewage and electricity.

The material anticipates that 45 out of 74 arches of the bridge will find new uses. These will include cafes, galleries, commercial spaces, coworking centers, and a branch of the city library. Below Vítkov, a new park is to be created near the bridge, and in the area in front of the Karlín Barracks, there are plans to create a summer stage for the Karlín Theater between the arches. Furthermore, moving towards the river, Negrelli Square is to be established and adjustments around the intersection of the viaduct with Sokolovská Street are also planned.

The proposed traffic solution aims to limit transit traffic through Karlín and create new paths that connect the old buildings with the Vltava river. For this reason, a new pedestrian crossing with traffic lights across Rohanské nábřeží is planned. The number of parking spaces around the viaduct is expected to decrease by 53 to 145 from the pre-reconstruction state. "In the long-term perspective, we expect that, similar to most developed cities, adjustments and improvements to the central bus station at Florenc will also occur,” the study states.

The city is also preparing the construction of a footbridge that will connect Karlín with Holešovice across Štvanice Island. According to Scheinherr, two arches located on the island will also find new uses. The city has already signed a contract with the designer, who is currently preparing the documentation for the footbridge for the application for a zoning decision and building permit.

The Negrelli Viaduct is the first railway bridge in Prague over the Vltava River and the second oldest standing bridge in Prague. It connects Masaryk Station across Štvanice Island with Bubny. The 1,100-meter-long structure, which was put into operation at the beginning of June 1850, is a heritage-protected site. It is named after its builder, Alois Negrelli. The reconstruction of the bridge, costing 1.44 billion crowns, began last summer, and upon completion, the capacity of the track will increase so that trains connecting the center of Prague with the Prague airport can also run on it.