Prague will prepare a study for the construction of a bridge between Karlín and Holešovice

Prague - Prague will begin preparing a study for the construction of the Rohanský Bridge between Karlín and Holešovice. It is to be completed by May 31 of next year and will be created by the Institute of Planning and Development (IPR) together with city hall officials. The decision was made today by the city's councilors. The new 382-meter-long and 23-meter-wide Rohanský Bridge will connect Jateční Street in Holešovice with Rohanský Embankment and Urxova Street in Karlín. It will be designated for trams, cars, cyclists, and pedestrians. The most recent bridge in the capital is the Trojský Bridge, which was opened in 2014.

Talk about the bridge's construction between Holešovice and Karlín intensified after the Libeň Bridge had to be closed to all traffic in January due to its deteriorating condition. The bridge had to be supported, and only then could traffic return. According to the original plan, the new bridge was to be built upstream in line with Komunardů Street.

The Rohanský Bridge is designed with a curved floor plan and consists of two opposing arches. According to the material created by IPR, which is available to ČTK, trams will run on it, and it will feature two single-lane roads, two bike paths, and sidewalks. The tram lane would be eight meters wide. The traffic lanes for cars should be 3.5 meters wide and for cyclists 1.5 meters. The sidewalks should be 2.25 meters wide in each direction. The bridge will have seven spans ranging from 40 to 90 meters and will be located 17 meters above the surface of the Vltava River.

It is not yet clear how the new bridge will look or how much it will cost. Likewise, it is unclear when the city could begin construction. Although the bridge is marked in the upcoming Metropolitan Plan, it is currently missing from the valid one. Therefore, Prague would need to amend the plan as soon as possible.

In addition to the study, a 3D model of the bridge will also be created, which the city will use in discussions with the municipalities of Prague 7 and 8 and with residents. According to Deputy Mayor Petr Dolínek (ČSSD), Prague 8 is advocating for the original plan, where the bridge would be built in line with Komunardů Street in Holešovice. Prague 7, on the other hand, has objections to its ending on Jateční Street. "If it were in the line of Komunardů, it would mean the creation of high approach ramps due to the requirement of the Vltava River Basin Authority for the minimum height of the bridge. The alignment from Jateční Street allows for a smooth ramp construction," said Dolínek.

Prague has been facing long-term problems with the condition of its bridges. In early December last year, a pedestrian footbridge collapsed between Císařský Island and Troja. Four people were injured in the accident. Prague is currently also addressing the repair of Hlávkův Bridge, which experts from the Czech Technical University began to examine. Among other problematic bridges is Palackého Bridge, and repairs for Barrandovský Bridge are being planned.