The construction of the temporary Troja footbridge could begin in the middle of the year

Prague - The construction of a temporary footbridge between Prague's Císařský Island and Troja could begin in the middle of this year. Adam Scheinherr (Prague Together), the mayor's deputy, informed ČTK today. The city could obtain the building permit in the next three weeks. It is expected to be completed in the spring of next year. The footbridge collapsed in December two years ago, injuring four people in the incident. Police have already charged two men with endangerment in connection with the accident.

Before the city begins construction of the footbridge, it will need to announce a tender for the company that will build it after obtaining the building permit. It currently has the contract in progress and will submit the bidding documentation to bidders after obtaining the permit. They will send price offers, which will then be evaluated and a winner chosen.

The exact cost of constructing the temporary footbridge will come from the tender. Last December, Prague's council approved a document stating that the construction is expected to cost 94.5 million crowns.

The temporary footbridge is designed to have a lifespan of up to 30 years. It is proposed as an asymmetrical continuous structure with six spans. The deck is made up of a main steel circular profile and a series of crossbeams and longitudinal beams.

Originally, the temporary structure was to be 3.5 meters wide and made of wooden planks. However, the Prague 7 municipality did not like that, so the project was revised. In the future, Prague intends to announce an architectural competition for the final design of the footbridge, which is expected to be six to seven meters wide.

The footbridge collapsed on December 2, 2017, injuring four people, two of them seriously. The city provided each injured person with 50,000 crowns. The city reached an agreement with the insurance company for further compensation this January, which began disbursing compensation even before the police investigation was completed.