Railway Bridge
Architect: První Českomoravská továrna na stroje, bratři Prášilové, Ruston a spol.
Year of completion: 1901
Similar to other railway bridges, the one beneath Vyšehrad does not have an official name, despite being a vital link between Smíchovské and Hlavní nádraží (the main railway stations). Since 1871, an old single-track bridge serving only freight transportation has stood in the same location. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was replaced by the current double-track bridge, featuring pedestrian walkways and three iconic arches. The shape of these arches complements the nearby Vyšehrad and blends into the scenery of Prague’s bridges. Although the bridge is a well-known landmark in Prague, its maintenance has been underestimated in the past, and apart from the recently restored pedestrian walkways, the bridge is in poor technical condition. This, combined with the bridge’s insufficient capacity, led the Railway Administration to launch an architectural competition that resulted in a proposal that does not involve renovating the bridge but rather demolishing it. The future of this structure is therefore highly uncertain.
