The temporary bridge in Prague's Troja will be ready in a year and a half

Prague - The temporary bridge in Prague's Troja will be built in a year and a half. Until then, a high-capacity ferry will replace the collapsed bridge, which will set sail this May. Representatives from Prague 7 and Troja mentioned this to journalists after a meeting of city officials and organizations today. A line X25 has been introduced on the Libeň Bridge, which has been closed to traffic due to its emergency condition. Passengers will be transported only about halfway across the bridge, from there they must walk. The bridge should be supported within a month, and public transport could return to it.

The bridge from Prague 7 to Troja collapsed in early December last year. Four people were injured in the accident, two of them seriously. The bridge is now replaced by a ferry for several dozen people, which cannot operate during higher water flows. The Libeň Bridge connecting Holešovice and Libeň was closed to cars and public transport on Friday, January 19, due to its emergency condition. The city is now working on its support and plans its reconstruction for the future. Only pedestrians and cyclists can access the bridge.

"By the end of the week, the City of Prague should order a high-capacity ferry to trace the historical ferry route between Troja and Císařský island just above the collapsed bridge," said Troja Mayor Tomáš Bryknar. The ferry can accommodate up to 200 people and could operate even during significantly higher water flows that complicate the operation of the current one. The ferry will be in operation from May.

The temporary bridge will follow the route of the bridge that collapsed last December, and it is expected to be operational by May next year. The preparation for the construction of the temporary bridge has been complicated by the fact that there is neither a zoning decision nor a building permit completed. After the temporary one is built, the city will hold a competition for the final new bridge.

Transport between the banks of the Vltava River is also complicated by the closure of the Libeň Bridge from the week before last. The bridge will be supported. "A detailed project is currently being prepared. It is expected that the support of the bridge should take 28 days, with the goal of restoring public transport on the bridge. This means buses, and if everything goes well, then trams as well," said Prague 7 Mayor Jan Čižinský.

People now have to walk 450 meters between the nearest stops. If the connections on the bridge completely bypassed, people would have to walk about a kilometer from Palmovka to Holešovice. "Today, a line X25 was introduced, which runs roughly to the middle of the bridge, respectively, it connects Prague 7 and 8. The bus stops roughly at the tram stop," said Prague 7 Deputy Mayor Ondřej Mirovský.

According to Čižinský, Prague 7 demands that the Libeň Bridge be repaired in sections or that a temporary bridge for trams be built during the repair. A similar one connected Prague 7 and Troja before the construction of the Troja Bridge.

Prague 7 councilor Lenka Burgerová said that the meeting also discussed the fate of the Hlávka Bridge, which is also in very poor condition. "The bridge has a valid zoning decision, and documentation for the building permit is currently being processed, but it should not be completed until at least 2019, with the anticipated start of the bridge repair in 2020," she said.