Plans to demolish heritage-protected Prague railway bridge to go ahead despite opposition

The Railway Administration will be going ahead with its plans to demolish and rebuild part of Prague's Vyšehrad Railway Bridge, Transport Minister Martin Kupka and the director of the Railway Administration Jiří Svoboda announced at a press conference on Tuesday.

The transport minister said that they were "fully aware" of the historical value of the current bridge and that the lattice riveted structure would not be removed under any circumstances. He stated that the goal is for the original steel structure to be transferred to another suitable location, which they are still looking for, where it could continue to serve as a bridge for pedestrians and cyclists. He added that the new bridge would be subject to an international assessment of its impact on the city's cultural heritage and negotiations with UNESCO are also planned.

The Railway Administration revealed the new design for the bridge at the end of last year based on an architectural competition, prompting a wave of criticism as the proposal envisaged the upper part of the bridge, the original heritage-listed steel structure, being entirely replaced.

The Railway Administration argues that the steel structure has been so damaged by corrosion that it doesn't make sense to try to preserve it. However, the Prague 5 and Prague 2 districts, the city government, and local residents, who have organised an online petition to save the bridge which has so far been signed by around 20,600 people, oppose the idea, as the bridge is protected by the National Heritage Institute and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.