These nine building projects will transform Prague's cityscape in the next decade

The City of Prague will see a record number of major construction projects start or continue this year, with a total investment cost of almost CZK 50 billion, architect and Prague Deputy Mayor for Territorial and Strategic Development Petr Hlaváček told journalists today. These include a new metro line, redeveloped train stations, reconstructed bridges, and revamped city squares.

“This year is unprecedentedly significant in terms of public construction. We will transfer our energies from planning to building in the city this year,” Hlaváček said at Prague’s Center for Architecture and Urban Planning (CAMP). Director of the Institute of Planning and Development (IPR) Ondřej Boháč added: “It is a joy to observe when the shapes from our visualizations finally materialize in the city.”

Prague will work on 14 major projects and several minor developments throughout the remainder of this decade, with some of the most notable including the redevelopment of Wenceslas Square – which will get a new tram line – the construction of a new metro line (D), reconstructing Prague’s Masarykovo nádraží, and giving Vinohrady’s Jiřího z Poděbrad a facelift. 

Hlaváček told Expats.cz: “These projects will impact all of Prague and its people; life will become easier and more convenient after these projects are complete.” The former IPR director pinpointed Wenceslas Square and metro line D as the most significant due to the sheer number of people who will feel the change.

This project will feature new tram lines on the upper part of the famed square, a promenade of trees, and wider sidewalks for pedestrians and cyclists. The project's total cost is over CZK 1 billion, and the City of Prague expects construction on the upper part of the square to be completed by 2026.

This project will connect the southern Prague area of Písnice with Prague 2’s Náměstí Míru station. Expected to be functional by 2029, the project got underway in 2022, and its first stage should cost about CZK 14 billion. Hlaváček pointed out that this was the city’s biggest and most expensive development. Metro line D will feature 10 stations.

The square, which Hlaváček referred to as neglected, will see 150 new trees planted, renovation of the fountain, the reconstruction of the square's paths, and a new children’s playground. Work began at the start of this year and will cost CZK 478 million – the project’s total estimated time is three years.

The outdated Masarykovo nádraží will see the creation of a new platform and tracks. This project, set to start in February 2024 and be completed by 2027, is being funded by the Railway Administration for CZK 3.4 billion, with work set to finish in 2027. According to the IPR, the station’s revitalization will also ensure a better connection with the city “and expand the accessibility of the location.”

Hlaváček told Expats.cz that this building and the surrounding area, located in Holešovice, is the most in need of redevelopment and a facelift, not only due to its aesthetic but also because its derelict nature also attracts some homeless people. 

Developers will revamp the building by the end of 2025 for CZK 2.5 billion. The EUSPA, as an EU headquarters, “is not only important for Prague but also for the whole of Czechia” in the country’s standing in the EU, Hlaváček told Expats.cz. He told us it was among the City of Prague’s most important projects.

The Czech Railway Administration will redevelop the arched railway bridge linking Prague's Karlín and Holešovice, turning it into a commercial hub filled with restaurants, cafes, shops, and startup facilities. Hlaváček told Expats.cz it was among Prague’s “most beautiful” planned projects.

The Czech Railway Administration is continuing work on the new Prague-Výstaviště rail station, which will connect to the Prague-Bubny rail station, currently under development. This Prague 7 section will also connect with the capital’s planned metro that links Prague Airport with the city center. The project will be finished by 2030, costing CZK 4 billion. It will also serve Prague’s upcoming Vltava Philharmonic Hall and connect with the Negrelli Viaduct.

This large Prague 5 rail station will repair tracks, platforms, and subways, also adding elevators for accessibility. The city will also open a new bus terminal – replacing the current one – and redevelop the current parking garage. Reconstructed underpasses, extended throughout the station, will provide passengers with barrier-free access. Work is set to finish by 2030, costing around CZK 13 billion.

The Directorate of Roads and Highways will work on a 12.6-kilometer section of the capital’s ring road (or Pražský okruh). The project includes new tunnels, level crossings, bridges, and footbridges between Běchovice and the start of the D1 highway to the east of the city. The project will start in late 2024 and cause significant travel disruption in the area until 2027.

Among other projects are reconstructions of the Libeň, Barrandov, and Dvorecký bridges, all of which should be ready by next year.