“Fortunately, the monthly costs are several orders of magnitude lower than one hundred thousand crowns, but the total amount has not yet been quantified,” said Petr Bidlo, a spokesman for Prague 1. The suspension of work at six can cost half a million crowns at these numbers.
“I repeatedly ask the councilor and the mayor when something will start to happen, but we do not know any clear date, nor is it written about it,” complained Petr Kučera (Greens), the opposition representative and initiator of the petition for saving the tree. “What bothers me most is that the tree suffers, part of the terrain has been removed and there is less water. Although the town hall instructed the green administrator to water it regularly, it is now uncertain how it will fare. We pointed this out before the construction started, “says Kučera.
The town hall discussed the change of the construction project with the conservationists and at the building office, but did not provide further information. “In the spring, Prague 1 approved that the Anenský Triangle would receive one new mature tree at this stage and that the maple that now grows there would be preserved. Therefore, it was necessary to rework the project, which included two new trees, “described Bidlo.
The tree became the subject of political struggles in the central part of the city and at the municipality, it was to be felled due to the construction of a tentacle to the Vltava. According to the new plans, the tentacle will be excavated from the side of the river only to three quarters, it will be accessible similarly to the dungeon on the embankment near Výtoň. The walking pier with the embankment will be walked up the stairs in the same way as the embankment at Hollar. After the tree dies naturally, the tentacle is cleared.
Planting new trees
However, work is underway in another part of Smetana’s embankment. In October, the Technical Administration of Roads (TSK) began preparing the planting of new trees in the section from the Legion Bridge to the Novotný footbridge, while it is preparing sites for nine new lime trees, which should be planted in early November. “Tree planting is the first swallow of the complete transformation of the area from Klementinum through Křížovnické náměstí to the National Theater. Smetana’s embankment and the Lesser Town are among the most beautiful and valuable places in the world, and we should approach it in this way, “said Adam Scheinherr (Prague himself), a square for traffic.
Workers are now dismantling mosaic tiles and cast iron gratings in the trees, removing stumps, including the root ball, and adjusting the root space so that the new trees have enough space. Irrigation troughs will also be created on the sidewalk, which will ensure the supply of rainwater directly to the roots in a specially mixed substrate. In the event of a drought, the trees will also be irrigated using an irrigation bag. In addition, the city management is preparing extensive changes on the Smetana embankment, in the first phase new tram stops will be built in Karlovy Lázně and Žofín, and a wide pedestrian promenade is planned for the future.
According to current information, the discussion of the Karlovy Lázně and National Theater stops is currently being finalized. The city will apply for a building permit next week, and trams should stop here next July.
The sidewalk at Hollar and the sidewalk at the historic building of the National Theater are to be extended, and there is also an elevated bicycle lane to the north in the section of the National Theater along the National Awakening Park. Project preparation is currently underway, construction work will begin in 2023. The boarding island at Staroměstská will also increase, where one lane will retreat to the north in favor of cyclists and pedestrians, who will be given a new crossing.
The conceptual study dealing with the modification of Smetana’s embankment from Klementinum through Křižovnické náměstí to the National Theater was approved by the city council in March this year. Thanks to the restriction of transit traffic, it expects cars to fall by a third. “The issue of traffic restrictions is the subject of negotiations with the city districts concerned, and a working group has been set up with its participation,” Scheinherr added.