Prague plans to announce an architectural competition for the Rohanský Bridge

Prague – The Prague City Hall will announce an architectural competition for the proposed Rohanský Bridge connecting Karlín and Holešovice. During today’s public discussion about its design, Deputy Mayor Adam Scheinherr (Prague Sobě) stated this. Various architect proposals were presented at the meeting regarding the possible routes for the bridge; the city will now evaluate the options and then select one to include in the urban plan.

The construction of the bridge connecting Holešovice and Karlín has been planned since the days of the First Republic. Today, Scheinherr said that it is significant from a local perspective as a transportation link between both banks and also as an alternative route in case of the closure of the Hlávka Bridge. According to him, the new bridge should also accommodate a tram. "In terms of intensity, it is one of the less significant, but important connections," said Scheinherr.

The current urban plan anticipates that the bridge would run from Thámova Street on the Karlín side to Komunardů Street in Holešovice, but according to earlier studies, this option in Karlín would necessitate demolishing buildings, as the access ramp would not fit. Architect Pavel Hnilička, who prepared a bridge variant study for the Institute of Planning and Development (IPR), stated today that an alternative could be for the structure to be partially movable. However, Scheinherr ruled this out. According to him, all new bridges must be built to remain operational even during floods.

The city has already commissioned a change to the urban plan, which does not yet specify the bridge's route. In the prepared new Metropolitan Plan, there is an option that considers a connection in Karlín to Urxova Street and in Holešovice to the intersection of Jateční and Na Maninách Streets. This option was developed for the IPR by architect Roman Koucký, but some local residents oppose it and have hired architect Patrik Kotás to create an alternative study, according to which the original variant is also possible. In addition, at Scheinherr’s urging, a design from the D3A studio was also created, which architect Jaroslav Zima presented today, leading the bridge from Urxova to the connection of Jateční, Jankovcova, and V háji streets.

The city will now evaluate all the proposals from the perspective of urbanism, flood protection, bridge construction, and urban crisis management, according to the deputy. "From this, one variant should emerge, which will go into the change of the urban plan and will serve as the basis for announcing the architectural competition," said Scheinherr.

Construction is also being prepared for the Dvorecký Bridge, connecting Prague 4 and Prague 5, which has been stated as a priority by representatives of the city hall's leadership. The city is also constructing a footbridge between Císařský Island and Troja to replace the one that collapsed in 2017. A footbridge for pedestrians and cyclists is also planned between Karlín and Holešovice, which will lead over Štvanice Island.

The most recent Prague bridge over the Vltava River, the Troja Bridge, was opened in October 2014, replacing the Troja tram bridge from 1981, nicknamed "the noisy one," which ceased operations on October 7, 2013.