Prague to kick off transformation of Negrelli Viaduct into a dynamic public hub

Preparatory work on a pilot arch between the bridge piers of the Negrelli viaduct in Karlín began at the start of August, according to the Prague Institute of Planning and Development. The space will be transformed into an information center, which will be in trial operation for two years.

Deputy Mayor Zdeněk Hřib, responsible for transport, said the revitalization of the first arch of the viaduct will test not only the functionality of the entire future solution but also the connection to available transport routes in the vicinity and civic amenities within the 15-minute city concept. "In the future, new cafes, bistros, cultural projects, but also facilities for startups will gradually grow there," Hřib said.

The glass facades are designed to be a permanent part of the structure. If they meet expectations, the glazing of the remaining arches will continue, Hřib said. There are 45 arches that will gradually be transformed. So far, only the pilot, arch number 36, is in the works, as well as the interior and technical background of the info center. New glazed facades are planned for both sides.

Barbora Lišková, a spokeswoman for the Technical Road Administration, said that the structural and physical parameters of the trial operation will be monitored in cooperation with the National Heritage Institute. The information will subsequently be used in the renovation of the remaining arches.

The glass facades are designed to be a permanent part of the structure. If they meet expectations, the glazing of the remaining arches will continue, Hřib said.

"Our long-term vision is to preserve social diversity and build on the history of Karlín as a port and historically industrial part of Prague, which today suffers from intensive gentrification," Deputy Mayor Petr Hlaváček, responsible for territorial development, said. He added that, from an urban planning point of view, the Negrelli viaduct is a barrier separating Karlín from the historic city, but with the new use, this scar will be healed.

Renovations on the viaduct, which links Masarykovo nádraží to Holešovice, finished at the end of May 2020 and trains have been crossing on top of it since then. The arches beneath the viaduct have so far remained empty and a bit forbidding. One even turns up in the film “The Gray Man” as a spooky area for spies to conduct their nefarious business.

The Negrelli Viaduct is the second oldest bridge in Prague, after the 14th century Charles Bridge, and the oldest railway bridge. Designed by engineer Alois Negrelli, for whom it is named, it has been in operation since 1850.