The rough construction of the Prosek metro station is complete

Prague - The rough construction of the new Prosek metro station on the under-construction section of the metro from Ládví to Letňany is complete. The energy distribution systems are also finished. Next month, architectural elements such as ceilings, cladding, flooring, and glass inserts will begin to be installed. According to project leader Jiří Kučera, the station will have a blue color scheme and will be relatively austere.
    "The project tends to be more economical; more or less materials of our own production are used compared to previous years," Kučera said to reporters during today's tour of the under-construction station. The cladding will be made of enamel-coated sheets, ceilings from aluminum, and load-bearing columns will be painted. The station, along with the surrounding modifications, will cost between 1.6 and 1.8 billion crowns, he added.
    The station is approximately 200 meters long and 27 meters wide. The platform is typically 100 meters long, and people will board the trains from the sides, not from the center. About 80 meters of the station's length in the first underground floor is designated for shops and services. There will be four exits from the station; two will lead to the department store, and one each to Prosecká and Vysočanská streets.
    The station will be quite unique in that, although it is in an open space, only small buildings for entry and exit will be present at the surface. According to Kučera, thanks to a series of glazed openings in the ceiling, it will be one of the brightest stations in Prague's underground.
    Construction of the station began in September 2004. Approximately 70,000 cubic meters of soil have been excavated from the surface. The reinforced concrete structure consists of about 23,000 cubic meters of concrete. So far, according to Kučera, there have been no issues with the construction work. Workers only had to deal with a relatively strong groundwater spring. The subsoil is sandstone.
    The new section of the metro line C will be 4.6 kilometers long. It will have three stations: Střížkov, Prosek, and the terminus Letňany, where there will be a large bus terminal and a park-and-ride facility. Costs are expected to be around 15.5 billion crowns, and the three new stations will serve an area where about 50,000 people live. The new metro section is expected to start serving the public around the middle of next year.