“We anticipate that we would like to make a new light-controlled pedestrian crossing on the highway, which I believe will be a very strong topic,” said Petr Hofhanzl, head of the West Construction Administration, in a podcast of the Railway Administration. According to him, setting up the transition would be a step in the right direction, and according to him, any idea “will not be well perceived by the public”.
So far, the city to which the highway belongs has not clearly come up with the idea. “We know about the intention of the Railway Administration and discuss it with them. At the moment, we are considering arguments for and against, “said Adam Scheinherr (Prague himself), the mayor’s deputy for transport.
Location parking park
The idea of establishing a crossing is part of the Railway Administration’s major plans to cultivate and revitalize the station. The repair of the exterior of the Fanta building is currently being completed, and this year they are to start working in the large halls inside. In the following years, there will be a new check-in hall from the 1970s, which was repaired by the Grandi Stazioni company, but it flows into the hall and the Railway Administration wants to change its internal layout.
The use of the roof, where there is parking today, is also to change. The Railway Administration wants to cancel this. “Instead of an asphalt surface, we want to make a park here,” said Hofhanzl. The park is to be complemented by water features and a small commercial such as a bistro or cafe. It is to be accessed by wide stairs, escalators and just a transition from an old building. At the same time, it should be “shielded” from the highway.
The end of bad places
The interior will undergo a complete transformation. “Let’s change the layout completely. The shops, which are today in the middle of the hall, will be located in the regions, in an area where there are unlimited places today where taxi drivers stand, there are ramps and it is so slick. We should displace all commerce there, “added Hofhanzl, according to which the hall should be more airy. Today, the intention of the project is complete, it should be rebuilt in the years 2023 to 2026.
Part of the plans to revitalize the set of buildings is the extension of the northern underpass in Žižkov, which will be completed this summer.
There is to be a new access from the underpass to the halls of the Fanta building. The traffic significance of the building, which was completed in 1909, declined in 1977, when a new check-in hall of the railway station was opened towards Vrchlický sady.