Traffic restrictions on the D1 motorway near Prague
The Road and Motorway Directorate of the Czech Republic (ŘSD) is launching the key part of the construction of the crossroads between the Prague Ring and the D1 motorway. A part of the busiest section of the motorway will be replaced by a bridging above the future route of the new ring road which will lead beneath the D1. The construction of new bridges on the D1 motorway will be completed next year, when the southern section of the Prague Ring is scheduled to be opened.
The construction of the bridge in the middle of one of the largest flyovers in the Czech Republic will bring about traffic restrictions. Although the D1 motorway in this section will remain six-lane, speed will be significantly limited and drivers will make use of the newly built thoroughfare. Owing to this final phase of the Prague Ring’s construction, it will be necessary during the time of its construction to divert traffic on the 10th kilometre of the D1 motorway from its present route. “For this purpose, the future ramps interconnecting the two roads have been built in advance, and traffic from Prague to Brno will be temporarily led on them,” explains Alfred Brunclík, Chief Executive Officer of the Road and Motorway Directorate of the Czech Republic.
The first change will be carried out today, 23 November 2009. The traffic in the direction from Brno to Prague will be diverted to an alternate road with the length of 800 metres north-east of the D1. The traffic in the direction from Prague will remain unchanged. After approximately 3 weeks, there will also be changes with regard to the direction from Prague to Brno, namely, in the place of the construction vehicles will be diverted to the future collector strip next to the motorway in the opposite direction. “Diversion of traffic is expected to take place in two stages with an interval of three weeks, during which two provisional crossings of the central reservation will be implemented, as well as other measures necessary for diversion of traffic in the direction from Prague to Brno on the D1 motorway,” Alfred Brunclík adds.
In the final appearance, both motorway directions will be diverted from their present route, which must be vacated for the construction of new bridges above the future Prague Ring. “It is crucial that throughout the construction and alternative traffic routing both directions will have three lanes. This should not result in a significant slowing down of the traffic flow,” says Alfred Brunclík.
The mentioned changes are unprecedented in the history of our longest and most heavily trafficked road. Nevertheless, there is no other possible solution. According to Alfred Brunclík, Chief Executive Officer of the ŘSD, the traffic restrictions will be in place until the construction of bridge has been completely finished, i.e. also until the Prague Ring in the section between the D5 and D1 motorways has been put into operation, in the summer of 2010. Traffic flow should not deteriorate to a significant degree. Although it involves a major restriction, the roadway width will not change. Throughout the respective period, both directions will have three traffic lanes. “The only restriction we expect in this section is speed limitations to 80, 60, and, in places, 50 km/h,” Alfred Brunclík adds.
Date: 23.11.2009
