On Wednesday, the Railway Administration (SŽ) presented the winning design of the bridge that should replace the existing railway under Vyšehrad. The 2T engineering studio designed the three-track bridge between Výton and Smíchov. Only the lower part of the original bridge will remain.
The fate of the current two-track railway bridge has been the subject of lengthy debates due to its poor technical condition and the impossibility of expanding it to a three-track operation.
The winning proposal envisions the preservation of the triple bridge spans and the triple arches. The traditional silhouette would thus be preserved.
Pedestrian footbridges should continue to be part of the bridge on both sides. At the same time, in the Výton area, the existing alignment should be substantially altered, and a stop should be built there to facilitate the transfer to trams.
The bridge reconstruction should start in 2026 and will cost CZK 2 billion.
According to Jiří Svoboda, the head of the Railway Administration, the extension to three tracks was one of the tender conditions. It was also necessary to respect the requirements of monument protection. Some proposals also considered preserving the existing steel structure.
“The winning design opens the way to using the existing bridge structure in another location, and I hope that the Railway Administration will start preparing this move as well,” said Adam Scheinherr (Praha Sobě), Deputy Minister for Transport.
The evaluation committee consisted of 11 members. In addition to representatives of the Railway Administration and the Municipality, it also included experts in bridge construction, members of the Club for Old Prague, and architects. Six proposals were selected for the final stage of the selection process and presented after the recommendations were incorporated.
“A contract will be concluded with the winner of the competitive dialogue for the preparation of a more detailed study, which will serve as a basis for the preparation of documentation for the joint construction permit,” the Railway Administration said.