Nuselský bridge Prague

The issue of bridging this area began to be addressed in the 1960s in connection with the large-scale construction of family houses in Pankrác, because the bridge would make it easier for people to travel. The project was then led by three architects: Stanislav Hubička, Svatopluk Kobra and Vojtěch Michálek.

The foundation stone was laid in 1965, and five years later a load test of the bridge was carried out. This took place in such a way that a row of 66 tanks were stacked on top of each other on the unfinished bridge.

On February 22, the grand opening of the bridge took place, which was attended by a number of regime leaders. The opening day was set for the 25th anniversary of the victorious February, and the bridge then bore the name of former Czechoslovak President Klement Gottwald, until 1990.

The first designs of the bridge also included an internal tram line, but in the end a metro line was built here. Thus, a double-track line was built inside the tube, however, its construction did not go without difficulties. At that time, the heads of the Soviet Union pushed for metro cars of their provenance to run in Prague, which, however, were much heavier than domestic cars. Due to such a large load, the bridge structure was not built, so a reinforcing steel grate had to be used, distributing the pressure to the side walls of the tube.

The total length of the bridge reaches 485 m and the width is 26.5 m. The bridge is supported by four pillars, which rise to a height of up to 40 meters above the valley. The tube for the metro is 6.5 meters high and its walls are 30 to 110 cm thick. There is a 6-lane road on the surface of the bridge.

Among the Prague roads, the Nuselský Bridge is considered one of the most important. Up to tens of thousands of cars and the metro pass through it every day, transporting hundreds of thousands of people a day. In 2000, the Nuselský Bridge was chosen as the transport construction of the century, even though it had already undergone a number of repairs, and that a number of repairs awaited it in the future.

Due to its layout and construction, the Nuselský Bridge in Prague was a popular place for suicides. The exact number of people who jumped from the top ended their lives is not known, however, the number is estimated at up to 300 people. The rounded structure with mesh from 1997 was supposed to prevent the suicides from jumping later in the jump down, but even that did not deter the suicides. Later, slippery wide straps without attachment points were attached to the structure, so that since 2007 the situation with suicide jumps has significantly improved.

Author: Andrea Štyndlová