While the cause of the collapse of the footbridge in the Troja district of Prague, Czech Republic, is still being investigated, suspicions are that cable corrosion may have caused the incident.
The 260m-long structure had an unusual design with deck panels strung by steel cables fixed to piers on the banks of the Vltava River. It connected the Troja district to Imperial Island to the north of the city.
The 30-year-old bridge carried electronic sensors and had been inspected three weeks before its collapse on 2 December.
The sensors, which had been fitted in 2013, measured bridge deck deflection, sending electronic signals at two-minute intervals. No measurements outside the normal parameters had been received prior to the collapse.
As a result of the incident, 30 bridges in the city are being inspected, and some may be closed for safety.
According to Prague’s deputy mayor Petr Dolinek, law forbids the installation of a pontoon bridge other than for incidents caused by natural causes. The City Hall says a ferry service will be provided on site as soon as possible.
