The Prague City Council approved on Monday the free transfer of part of a dismantled pedestrian bridge from the Smíchov district of Prague to the town of Mladá Boleslav. The bridge, which originally connected Nádražní and Dobříšská streets over the Smíchov railway station, was closed in October 2023 and subsequently dismantled. The decision to give the bridge a new purpose still needs to be confirmed by the Prague City Assembly.
“The original pedestrian bridge, which had to make way for the modernisation of the Smíchov transport hub, will be repurposed,” said Zdeněk Hřib, Prague’s first deputy mayor. He emphasised that by relocating the bridge to Mladá Boleslav, it will gain a second life as a pedestrian and cycle bridge over the Jizera river. For Hřib, this is an example of sustainable management of large structures and the preservation of historic sites. “Once again, we are showing that historical structures can serve future generations,” he added.
The original bridge was constructed between 1929 and 1930. It connected two important streets in Smíchov and was modified and modernised multiple times over the decades. The last major reconstruction occurred in 2002, in connection with the construction of the Prague Ring Road.
In October 2023, the bridge was permanently closed due to planned construction projects at the “Smíchov Terminal” transport hub and was then dismantled. The structure has been unused since, but with the donation to Mladá Boleslav, it will now be put to a new use.
The town of Mladá Boleslav expressed great interest in preserving the technical monument to repurpose it as a pedestrian and cycle bridge over the Jizera river. To make this legally possible, a contract for the free transfer of ownership of part of the bridge was signed. The contract had already been approved by the town of Mladá Boleslav in April this year, and now the Prague City Council has also given its consent.
The section of the bridge that will be handed over to Mladá Boleslav measures 110.9 metres, making up almost two-thirds of the original length of 163.7 metres.
The donation of the bridge is a fine example of integrating heritage preservation with sustainable urban development. Instead of costly disposal of the historic bridge, it will be reused in another town. This approach demonstrates how old structures can be integrated into modern infrastructure, contributing to the conservation of resources.
