The bridge, which is the responsibility of the country’s transport and rail authorities, needs extensive work. The city council agreed that it should be reconstructed using modern technologies while preserving as much as possible of the character, substance and spirit of structure’s arched and riveted construction.
The council said that it understands the importance of the bridge’s transport role and the need to supplement its capacity.
Prague is asking the central authorities – the transport ministry and railway administration - to ensure that the situation does not reach a state where traffic would have to be interrupted due to a state of emergency. The city representatives also recommended that an independent body be asked to prepare a comparison of the schedule and price of various possible options. They awelcomed an offer by the ministry of transport and the railway administration to organise a seminar on the bridge.
Prague mayor Bohuslav Svoboda said that the bridge’s reconstruction will undoubtedly be demanding and technically complex, but that the need to improve railway connections in the area made it inevitable. He added that decisions on the bridge’s future involve two areas of public interest: modern railway transport and preservation of a cultural and technical monument.
Work is also planned to upgrade another rail bridge in the city (link opens in new tab).
