Nusle Bridge

Nusle Bridge (Czech: Nuselský most) is a prestressed concrete viaduct in Prague, Czechia. It connects Prague 2 and Prague 4, across a valley which forms part of the Nusle district. The bridge is one of the longest in the country and carries two footpaths, a multi-lane road and part of the city's rapid transit network.

Nusle Bridge
Nusle Bridge with Corinthia Towers hotel
Coordinates50.065844°N 14.430483°E / 50.065844; 14.430483
Carries6 lanes of roadway, 2 tracks of Prague Metro Line C, pedestrians
CrossesNusle Valley
LocalePrague
Official nameNuselský most
Characteristics
Designprestressed concrete hollow box haunched cantilever bridge
Total length485 metres (1,591 ft)
Width26.5 metres (87 ft)
Longest span115.5 metres (379 ft)
Clearance below42.5 metres (139 ft)
History
Construction start1967
Opened22 February 1973
Location

The bridge links the city center to its south-eastern districts such as Pankrác, and joins the D1 motorway leading to Brno. It is crucial to Prague's transportation network, since almost all north-south traffic flows across it.[1] Below the six-lane highway on the surface, lies part of Prague Metro Line C between I.P. Pavlova and Vyšehrad stations.

  • View from the north
  • View from the south
  • View from the west (from Vyšehrad)
  • View from below

Description

The bridge is 485 metres long and 26.5 metres wide, consisting of a reinforced concrete structure with four pillars. Two sections of the bridge span 68.5m and the other three span 115.5m. The average height above the valley is 42.5m. The conduit for the metro line C has a trapezoidal cross section, with a height of almost 6.5 m and wall thickness from 30 to 110 cm. The road is illuminated by lamps mounted in the central reservation.

Position

The bridge crosses, inter alia, Folimanka Park, Botič stream and the railway line from Prague main station to Smíchov. The majority of the bridge belongs to the administrative district of Prague 2. The section which lies to the south of the railway track below, however, belongs to Prague 4.

History

Construction began in 1967 and it opened on 22 February 1973 under the name Klement Gottwald Bridge (Czech: Most Klementa Gottwalda), honouring the late communist revolutionary and former president Klement Gottwald.

Suicides

A total of 200 to 300 people have been recorded to have taken their own life by jumping from the bridge,[2] garnering the nickname "Suicide bridge".[3] Since 2011, the deceased have been commemorated in the monument named Of One's Own Volition by Krištof Kintera, in the park below.[4]

The original safety railing was 1m high. In 1990, a 1.5m wide net was hung underneath the railing. Between 1996 and 1997, further fencing was added, heightening the barrier to 2.7 m. In 2007, the fencing was topped off with a 3-foot-wide strip (0.91 m) of polished metal to make it near-impossible to climb.[5]

References
  1. Cameron, Rob (7 November 2003). "Nusle Bridge: Concrete Giant Which Fell Victim to Politics of Cold War". Insight Central Europe. Archived from the original on 9 November 2014. Retrieved 24 January 2008.
  2. "CZECH SUICIDE HOT SPOTS TO BE SURVEYED". 19 September 2017. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  3. "New Protections on the "Suicide Bridge"". A/B/C Prague. 17 May 2007. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
  4. Kristof Kintera’s new work Memento Mori: “Of One’s Own Volition”
  5. "New Railing on the 'Suicide Bridge' Can't Be Climbed Over". A/B/C Prague. 16 August 2007. Retrieved 24 January 2008.
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