The reconstruction of the Nusle Bridge will be completed this year by November 17th

Prague - The reconstruction of Prague's Nusle Bridge will be completed this year by November 17. This was reported to journalists today by Deputy Mayor Petr Dolínek (CSSD) and representatives of the construction companies working on the bridge. Workers are repairing the bridge, reinforcing the structures, and replacing surfaces. Currently, most work is being carried out on the sidewalk and the structure on the side of the bridge towards the city center. Drivers can only use two lanes here. The opposite direction has already been fully opened for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers. The cost of the reconstruction is approximately 280 million crowns.

"The repair has been ongoing since 2012 and will be handed over for use by pedestrians on November 17, 2017. Finishing work will then continue until December 15, but this will not have any impact on the operation of the roadway and sidewalk," said Dolínek.

Workers have attached a 180-ton platform under the bridge, which they gradually move as they complete work. From it, they remove damaged parts of the concrete. "We always open the sidewalk and the floor in the given section, and under us is that platform, and we can begin work. This means sandblasting the concrete structures with a high-pressure jet, then repairing and doing insulation, and then we cover it with new panels. We will finish the concrete work and then we can move that platform a little further. This step takes about 30 days," said one of the site managers, Karel Frankota.

Both sidewalks will be wider. The one towards the city center has already been expanded. "We removed the old concrete railing that retained water on the bridge. New guardrails and railings have been installed in its place, and the sidewalk is several dozen centimeters wider," said the second site manager, Viktor Stržínek. The public lighting lamps are also new.

Work on the bridge can only take place for part of the day. The restrictions were ordered by health officials due to noise. "The noisiest work, which is the sandblasting of the concrete, we must not do at all on the weekends," said Stržínek. There is also night supervision at the construction site, and cameras are positioned to prevent potential suicides by climbing over the barriers with the help of the materials placed around.

Nusle Bridge was completed in 1973, spanning the Nusle Valley and connecting Pankrác with Karlov. There are three lanes in each direction on the bridge, and the metro runs through its tube. The bridge is 485 meters long and at its highest point above the valley, it is 42.5 meters tall.