Rail bridge connecting Výtoň and Smíchov to receive huge overhaul
The railway bridge connecting Prague's Výtoň and Smíchov districts is due to get a new look – and not everyone is happy about it.
The Vyšehrad Railway Bridge, built at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, has been in need of reconstruction for a while. This has long been a topic of discussion in Prague, with various proposals made over the years. An architectural competition was announced by the Railway Administration last May, with an essential component of the new design being an expansion from two to three tracks.
This week, the winning design was announced. The decision by the 11-member selection committee was apparently a difficult one following long and arduous discussions. According to Pavel Paidar from the Railway Administration, the selected proposal by company 2T engineering best deals with train, pedestrian and bicycle traffic.
Some have criticised the proposal as the original heritage-protected steel structure will be replaced by a new one, with the only part of the original structure preserved being the pillars on which the bridge stands. However, Pavel Paidar says that, taking into account the poor condition of the bridge, preserving the existing structure would have realistically meant dismantling and replacing the bridge part by part. The original steel structure should be used at least in part at another location.
The work is scheduled to begin in 2026 and should take just over a year and a half.
