New Crossing and Bike Lanes Coming to Prague's Main Station: Changes Ahead for the Magistrála

The Czech Railway Administration is preparing a major reconstruction of the busy road by Prague's Main Station (Wilsonova Street) — next to the historic Fanta Building, a wide pedestrian crossing, expanded pavements and ten new trees will appear. The works will cost more than 290 million crowns.

Currently, the only way to get from the station's historic building to the other side of the busy street is via an underpass or lift. According to Martin Werner, a spokesperson for the Railway Administration, the new crossing will feature traffic lights synchronized with those at the National Museum and the U Bulhara intersection.

The initial 2023 sketches envisioned narrowing the road from three lanes to two in each direction. However, as ministry spokeswoman Nela Fríbová clarified, the main changes will primarily affect the exit ramps and turning lanes at the U Bulhara intersection. In the direction from the National Museum towards Holešovice, two car lanes will remain, plus one lane for emergency vehicles and cyclists. Traffic in the opposite direction — from Holešovice to the Museum — will remain unchanged.

Special attention will also go to pedestrian access to the station from the National Museum side: currently, part of the route forces pedestrians to walk directly on the roadway. The old steel railing will be removed, and new paving on the southern side of the Fanta Building will be connected to the existing pavement at the intersection of Wilsonova and Vinohradská streets.

The reconstruction of the overhead structure and the landscaping of the surrounding area are just part of a much larger project to modernize the Main Station. The next stage includes the renovation of Vrchlického Gardens, the construction of a new tram line between Muzeum and Bolzanova, and the reconstruction of the station's main hall. Details of the project have been published on the "New Hlavák" website.

Meanwhile, restoration of the historic Fanta Building continues — the Railway Administration is bringing the building back to its early 20th-century appearance. Under the current phase, which began last year, the upper floors of the northern section and the entire southern wing will be restored. The work is expected to be completed by summer 2029, at a cost of 666 million crowns. Overall, reconstruction of the historic station building has been underway since 2019.

Read also: Unusual museums of Prague: 11 offbeat spots for those who've already seen the postcard city

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz