Šmejkalka Bridge on D1 Closed for Another Overnight Load Test

The Šmejkalka bridge on the D1 motorway has once again been closed overnight for a structural load test, with traffic set to resume in the morning. During the closure, cars and trucks weighing up to 12 tonnes were diverted along road I/3 through Benešov and then road II/110 via Soběhrdy and Kozmice.

Heavier trucks over 12 tonnes were sent on a longer detour — through Olbramovice, Votice and Miličín on road I/3, then onto the D3 motorway and road I/19 towards Pelhřimov and Humpolec, rejoining the D1 at exit 90 Humpolec.

How the bridge was tested

The test involves loading the bridge with eight fully laden trucks, each weighing 32 tonnes. According to Luděk Hubáček from the Road and Motorway Directorate (ŘSD), the test measures the structure's deflection under load, vibrations, effects on the concrete and other parameters. Results from both overnight tests will only be available once they are complete.

Reconstruction of the second half of the bridge to begin in autumn

If the load test doesn't reveal any problems, the directorate plans to switch traffic onto the already-completed section of the Šmejkalka bridge heading towards Prague on the night of September 5–6, and begin reconstruction of the other half of the bridge, which serves traffic heading towards Brno.

The reconstruction of the oldest motorway bridge in Czechia will cost nearly one billion crowns excluding VAT. Work began in 2023 and is being carried out by a consortium of Strabag and Pragoprojekt. The bridge is expected to fully reopen to traffic next year.

Read also: Brno: what to see and where to go

Source: prazsky.denik.cz