Skip to main content

Czech Republic: bad bridges report

The Czech government’s road and motorway directorate RSD has reported that thousands of bridges in the country are in a critical state. Nearly 10% or the 5,000 motorway or first-class road bridges are in bad, very bad or emergency condition. The same applies to almost 3,000 bridges on second- and third-class roads. RSD has allocated around €69 million for repairs of bridges at main roads and motorways this year
March 6, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
The Czech government’s road and motorway directorate RSD has reported that thousands of bridges in the country are in a critical state.


Nearly 10% or the 5,000 motorway or first-class road bridges are in bad, very bad or emergency condition. The same applies to almost 3,000 bridges on second- and third-class roads.

RSD has allocated around €69 million for repairs of bridges at main roads and motorways this year

The report comes at the same time the Liben Bridge - one of Prague’s main bridges - was closed to traffic after a report highlighting its dangerous state, according to Radio Prague.

In December, a pedestrian bridge over the Vltava River in Prague collapsed but no one was injured.

The 370m-long 21m-wide road and tram Libeň Bridge was closed for several weeks after a report warned against the condition of several sections. A vehicle weight restriction was needed, according to the report, but the city closed the bridge to all traffic except pedestrians while repairs were carried out.

It's estimated that around 14,000 cars and 1,000 trams use the 90-year-old concrete and stone bridge daily.

Related Content

  • New Zezelj’s Bridge in Novi Sad symbolises brotherhood and unity
    September 7, 2018
    The new Bridge of Brotherhood and Unity, also known as Zezelj’s Bridge, across the Danube River in Novi Sad, Serbia, is officially open. The road and rail tied-arch bridge replaces the original bridge of the same name that was built in 1961, named after the designer Branko Zezelj. The designer of the new bridge is Aleksandar Bojović and the contractor was an international consortium of Azvi, Taddei and Horta Coslada. One of the two arches is 177m long and 34m high and the other is 219m long and 42m high.
  • Turkey’s important new tunnel will improve transport links
    May 18, 2016
    Major advances in tunnelling will allow cars to travel underneath the Bosphorus sea channel in Turkey's Istanbul next year when its third road link is opened, writes Adrian Greeman. The Bosphorus is redolent with history and strategic significance. As one of the world's most significant sea connections, linking the landlocked Black Sea to the Marmara Sea and the Mediterranean beyond, it has been vitally important for trade and crucial for military access. It is also one of the biggest obstacles for land tra
  • Australian bridge slides into position
    July 18, 2012
    A heavy rail crossing as part of Australia's EastLink motorway demanded great ingenuity and careful planning Most of the 88 bridges on the EastLink tolled motorway in, Melbourne, Australia were kept as simple and straightforward as possible. Contractor Thiess John Holland (TJH) developed its own precast yard 150km from the city, which provided many of the prefabricated materials required for the structures. This offered speed and economy while logistics and sequencing were vital for their erection. But the
  • Urgent repairs to Forth Rd bridge
    March 19, 2012
    Urgent repairs will continue on the Forth Road Bridge in east central Scotland this weekend after work the previous weekend was disrupted by strong winds. The bridge authority has also confirmed that a further three weekends of traffic restrictions will be required over the following weeks. On Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 March traffic will be restricted to a single lane in each direction from 3am until 12noon.