The reconstruction of the Barrandov Bridge is causing problems, says Adam Scheinherr
It is prepared so that traffic restrictions are as small as possible. The fact that the reconstruction is causing some traffic problems is a fact and we must accept it.
The older of the two structures has been in operation since 1983, it has not been repaired for almost 40 years. Insulation on each bridge should be replaced after 20 to 30 years. This is already significantly longer, because previous political groups were afraid of this task. It is a tense construction, the same as the one that fell in Genoa, Italy. Nobody can see the rope inside the concrete, we diagnosed they are damaged by corrosion. Repair is inevitable.
So should drivers prepare for the columns?
We have prepared traffic engineering analyzes, including detours. Last year, Modřanská was reconstructed, and Strakonická is being enlarged by another lane, now Komořanská. There are 4 + 4 lanes on the bridge. There will always be three in each direction. The impact will not be so catastrophic, in each of the four stages of closure it will last only a few months of the year. We competed for the public contract so that the price was 40% and the closing time was another 40 percent.
Prague is getting ready for hell. The Barrandov Bridge awaits the second stage of repairs
Your political opponents recently said you didn’t tell them about the fix…
We first introduced the project to the Transport Committee on 11 February 2020, where the opposition has a representative. They are members of the committee.
There were several presentations in the city districts, we were in Písnice about four times. Now we will go to Zbraslav again. We met several times with Prague 4 and Prague 5, where the ODS is in charge. The main presentation will then come when the contractor and the specific schedule are introduced.
And what else should Praguers prepare for this year?
In parallel, we prepared city development projects. They apply to all modes of transport. Traffic constructions have not been built in Prague for many years. A week ago, the construction of the footbridge from Holešovice to Karlín began. When I count the Troja footbridge, we are already building the second bridge. The implementation of the Dvorecký Bridge, an important connection for bus and tram transport, will also begin this year. The Libeň Bridge will be repaired and we have also started to build a new trolleybus line.
We have started the construction of metro line D, the geological survey is completed and construction will start within a few months. The geological survey is underground and not visible, but it is a huge structure. Line B was last launched in 1975.
The first section of metro D will cost 60 billion crowns. Isn’t that too much?
The whole thing will cost up to a hundred billion crowns. It is one of the largest buildings of this decade in the Czech Republic. The price abroad is comparable to similar constructions, on the first section Pankrác – Olbrachtova we received three offers, we chose the cheapest one, the most expensive one was still three billion more expensive. They offered us the best price in terms of cash.
What are you doing for the completion of the Prague ring road?
He is being built by the state and we are doing everything we can to make it easier for him. We buy land for green belts for it, we managed to get the most problematic ones at the intersection between Dubčí and Běchovice as part of construction 511. We will build a high rampart on them and thus shield emissions and noise.
But the Ministry of Regional Development has decided that our municipality is biased and cannot decide on the circuit. This led to another postponement of construction. And after 20 years of obtaining an environmental impact assessment (EIA), this construction has not progressed anywhere, it is a great disgrace and Prague has a huge track on it.
Car traffic is returning to the embankment. Reconstruction of the tram line will send them there
But with the city ring you could move…
We managed to complete the documentation for the completion of the city circuit nicknamed Blanka II.
When I joined, Blanka II was not discussed and would not start to be built. My colleague Petr Hlaváček (TOP O9, Deputy Minister for Territorial Development) and I mostly put ten-kilometer buildings underground. We will not form a barrier in the middle of the city.
All city districts have accepted it positively and this year we will apply for a zoning decision. Last year, we also completed a geotechnical survey to determine the geological properties of the subsoil and the basis for designers.
So when will the city circuit be ready?
A zoning decision will be completed this year, then a geological survey for a building permit will take several years. The state could be in 2028 at the earliest, it could be done in 2035 if someone does not stop it.
Experts say that we are in a typical Prague geological environment, that is, in a very complex environment. Therefore, the preparation must not be underestimated so that we do not have problems with landslides as during the construction of Blanka.
How will you support bicycle transport this year?
The largest investments are the underpass under the Mánes Bridge, the reconstruction of the A1 cycle path along the Strakonická Bridge and the A2 cycle path between the Vyšehrad Bridge and the Rowing Island. The A2 is crowded and expands, which will be welcomed by skaters and pedestrians.
And this includes the HolKa footbridge. A total of 25 events are planned this year, most of them in cooperation with the city districts, but many are on the outskirts, where it is easier to build the cycle infrastructure separately. We build the infrastructure according to the given place and possibilities. Somewhere we focus on automobile and somewhere on combination with public transport.
TAKE A LOOK: The Fiakrists are fighting with the Prague City Hall for a horse stand
Is there still a restriction on transit traffic on the Smetana embankment?
No. We are not planning any restrictions on cars there, the city districts refused. Experts are in favor, but especially from the ODS series they are against.
It would help trams a lot, there are frequent convoys in which cars and trams stand.
There are 4 lines here, in places where cars run on the tracks, there are really big problems in the tram network, then they manifest themselves in other places in Prague. When an accident happens, it leads to collapse.
And what will change on the waterfront?
We are planning building modifications that will transform the public space to get the respect it deserves. It is one of the most beautiful waterfront in the world overlooking the river and the castle. The Karlovy Lázně and Národní divadlo stops will be reconstructed, they will be two-way and barrier-free, and new trees will be planted up to the Legion Bridge.