<Dvorecký> Bridge in Cubist Style to Aid Public Transport in Southern Prague</Dvorecký>

photo: Jiří Šebek

Prague - A selection of information about the Dvorecký Bridge in Prague, which will be ceremonially opened on Friday, April 17 (public transport will commence a day later):

- The construction, which spans between Zlíchov on the left and Podolí on the right bank of the Vltava, is the 21st bridge over the Vltava in Prague. The last crossing of this river meant for more than just pedestrians or cyclists was opened 12 years ago in the form of the Troja Bridge at the other end of the city. Unlike it, however, cars will not be able to access the Dvorecký Bridge, except for emergency vehicles, firefighters, or police.

- The Dvorecký Bridge, 361 meters long and 16 meters wide, will primarily serve city public transport. So far, two tram lines (numbers 20 and 21) will run over it, providing a completely new connection between the fourth and fifth city districts. The southernmost tram connection between the banks of the Vltava previously occurred at the Palacký Bridge, more than 2.5 kilometers away.

- The new Vltava bridge will also serve bus lines that currently cross the Barrandov Bridge (118, 196, 197) or end on the hill above Podolí on Zelený pruh (124). Additionally, two night bus routes will operate over it; conversely, it will remain closed for individual car - and motorcycle - traffic. It will be accessible for cyclists and pedestrians.

- The new bridge is named after Dvorce, a once independent settlement on the right bank of the Vltava, first mentioned at the beginning of the 13th century. Its eastern end now lies roughly in this location. There were also other proposals for naming, including after the Czech-born former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright or Saint Agnes of Bohemia. The first option was rejected by Albright's surviving family members, while the second was not supported by Prague residents in a poll earlier this year, leaving the bridge with its working title, Dvorecký Bridge.

- The connection of the Vltava banks between Zlíchov and Braník was planned already during World War II; however, the bridge was not intended just for Prague's transport (the city then had, among other things, a significantly smaller area) but was part of an envisioned highway network in the then protectorate. After liberation, these plans were abandoned, and it was not until the 1980s that the approximately one-and-a-half-kilometer-long Barrandov Bridge was constructed upstream from the now-opening Dvorecký Road Bridge.

- Serious considerations for the new bridge only began again around 20 years ago. A significant impulse came at the beginning of 2013 when the then Prague councilors approved a change in the zoning plan, which, along with the transformation of 50 hectares around the Smíchov railway station into a new urban district, also allowed for the construction of a bridge between Podolí and Zlíchov, designated for public transport. This change was later approved by the city's representatives.

- However, it took nearly another ten years before construction of the bridge actually began. In the autumn of 2018, the city leadership selected the winner of the architectural competition, which was won by the studios Tubes and Atelier 6. In June 2021, the city's assembly approved the construction of the bridge according to this design. In October 2021, the city announced a tender that estimated the project’s value at around one billion crowns.

- The winner of the tender in May 2022, just a few days after the issuance of a final building permit, was the consortium of firms TBR Firesta Strabag - Dvorecký Bridge with a bid of approximately 1.39 billion crowns and a construction period of 810 days. The construction of the Dvorecký Bridge officially began on September 3, 2022, less than two years after the Prague Public Transit Company (DPP) built the first preparatory work for the new line across the bridge, a tram turnoff near Lihovar. Similar preparations on the other side of the Vltava by the Podolí swimming pool were completed by DPP in spring 2023.

- According to the original plans, the Dvorecký Bridge was to be completed at the turn of 2024 and 2025, but construction was extended and also became more expensive. Work fell behind schedule mainly due to unforeseen geological conditions in the Vltava riverbed. In October 2023, there was talk of completion in the autumn of 2025, but eventually, construction took approximately six months longer. The final costs approached two billion crowns, most of which were attributed to the construction itself, with about 180 million for projects or smaller items such as the relocation of engineering networks.

- The bridge, built from white high-strength concrete, is a significant architectural dominant, with references to cubism and brutalism found in its design. At both ends, it will be complemented by artistic installations. On the Smíchov side of the bridge, a "light garden" will be created, where instead of trees there will be 120 different streetlights from around the world, designed by artist Krištof Kintera. He is also the author of five sculptures to be placed on the Podolí side, where a multifunctional space for cultural events, complete with an amphitheater, skatepark, refreshment areas, and climbing wall, will also be constructed. Everything is expected to be completed next year.

- The construction of the bridge, which ultimately took nearly four years instead of 30 months, temporarily disrupted operations on both sides of the river; the construction-related restrictions also temporarily affected shipping or water sports. For instance, last year's 112th edition of the traditional rowing competition, Primátorky, had to be shortened by 150 meters due to the Dvorecký Bridge construction, instead of the usual two kilometers, and the start was not from solid blocks but "freely." However, the traditional bend below the Vyšehrad rock was still featured last year.