The repair of the Barrandov Bridge will be a hell of traffic for all drivers. But as TSK Prague shows, it is absolutely necessary
Little is enough for a traffic collapse in Prague, often just a traffic accident on a busy section. Every year, it also includes repairs and reconstructions of Prague roads, which sometimes pretend that they will never have an end. And the columns that are created because of that, too. In the following years, a major reconstruction of the Barrandov Bridge will certainly contribute to the proper columns. As hell for drivers, he will surely appreciate it in the end. If it didn’t happen, most wouldn’t have to endure it.
It flows into the bridge
Each bridge work must undergo a complete reconstruction and replacement of some parts in its life cycle, but the Barrandov Bridge has never undergone such a major reconstruction. Because of this, it is already facing a number of visible and hidden defects. The most serious problem is that it flows into poorly injected cable ducts and the prestressing reinforcement is weakened in the range from 5% to 50%. Other problems are leaks caused by the already non-functional waterproofing system under the barrier walls, locally damaged waterproofing under the roadway, cracks in the chamber walls and a damaged bridge drainage system, which causes concrete degradation and corrosion of the concrete reinforcement.
“Last year, we completed the first stage of the reconstruction of the Barrandov Bridge and the beginning of the second, which will already have an impact on Prague traffic, is irresistibly approaching. The most important bridge in the Czech Republic, which is crossed by more than 140,000 cars a day, has not been touched for almost 40 years and its condition is understandable. We are at the forefront of repairing it because we want to prevent an accident, as happened in Genoa or Pittsburgh two weeks ago. Both collapsed bridges are similar in construction to the Barrandov Bridge. We are aware of the seriousness of the reconstruction for Prague transport. Barrandov Bridge is an irreplaceable artery. Therefore, for the first time in the history of the city, the public contract was set so that the time of reconstruction had the same weight as the price, “ said Adam Scheinherr, Deputy Mayor for Transport and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of TSK.
She’s had her for years
The busiest road in the Czech Republic, up to 144,000 vehicles pass daily, has four lanes in each direction, and is accessible to pedestrians and cyclists. It is a key part of the city ring, bypassing the narrower center of Prague.
The Barrandov Bridge is one of the largest bridge works in and around Prague, it was built for ten years and was fully opened in 1988 (the southern half was already in September 1983). An important transport hub in the southern part of the capital connects Braník on the right bank and Hlubočepy on the left. It is named after the Barrandov district, where it also leads. Between 1981 and 1990, the bridge was named after Antonín Zápotocký.