Tunnel boring begins on new Prague Metro Line D section at the Krč–Lhotka border

On the border between Prague's Krč and Lhotka districts, tunnel boring has begun on a new section of Metro Line D — running from Nové Butovice... actually from Nemocnice Krč (Olbrachtova) to the future Nové Dvory station. The news was announced by Daniel Šabík, external communications manager for the Prague Public Transit Company (DPP).

According to him, before mining work could begin, crews prepared the construction sites, dug the pit and portal for the access tunnel, relocated utility networks, and built new connections. So far, about 2.5 meters of the future access tunnel have already been excavated.

How the underground works are structured

The access tunnel is temporary — it exists solely to enable mining operations, remove excavated rock, and support construction of the Nové Dvory station itself. Roughly 103 meters in, a ventilation tunnel will branch off, which will become a permanent technical part of the station.

That ventilation tunnel will connect to a ventilation shaft currently being dug south of the Lidl store on V Štíhlách Street. Of the planned 34-meter depth, about two-thirds has already been excavated.

Boring of the access and ventilation tunnels is expected to be completed by the end of the first quarter of next year. After that, construction will begin on the single-span Nové Dvory station itself, including escalator tunnels and elevator shafts.

Work underway at multiple sites simultaneously

Preparatory work is also progressing in parallel at other locations along the route. In the Nové Dvory area, where the station's northern and southern vestibules will be built, utility relocation is ongoing. Near the northern vestibule, excavation of an elevator shaft will begin in the coming weeks, with completion planned this year.

Geomonitoring is underway along the stretch between Krč Hospital station (Nemocnice Krč) and Nádraží Krč. At construction sites on Branická Street and near Krč Hospital, the company Subterra will begin relocating utility networks and building temporary roads — Branická and Zálesí — in the coming weeks; only after that can excavation of the actual pits begin. Near Nádraží Krč station, all utility networks are already being relocated and new connections built, and in the coming weeks work will start on the pit needed to widen the bed of the Kunratický stream.

What officials and builders are saying

Jaroslav Bérana... Deputy Mayor of Prague for Transport Jaroslav Bérec (Pirates) noted that construction of the second phase of Metro Line D began three months ago, and the shift from preparatory work to actual tunnel boring toward Nové Dvory shows the strong pace of the project's progress. He said southern Prague has deserved modern, environmentally friendly transport for decades.

Prague 4 Mayor Ondřej Kubín (ODS) called Metro D the district's most important infrastructure project: once the line is completed, residents will no longer need lengthy bus rides with transfers, and drivers from outside the city won't need to venture deep into the urban core. He added that the metro will significantly transform the face of Prague 4, with entirely new neighborhoods emerging where older areas once stood.

Tomáš Koranda, Chairman of the Board of HOCHTIEF CZ, said a substantial amount of preparatory work has already been completed — from setting up construction sites to digging the portal and pit for the access tunnel and ventilation shaft. He noted that one of the project's most technically demanding phases lies ahead: boring the station, escalator tunnels, and underground structures under difficult geological conditions on a tight schedule. Builders have ordered two new tunnel boring machines for the running tunnels, which, according to the press office, are expected to arrive at one of the construction sites in mid-next year.

Prague 4 councillor Tomáš Hrdinka (ANO) named Line D one of Prague's three most important infrastructure projects, alongside the Prague Ring Road and the City Ring Road — saying it will help residents of the southern part of the capital reach the city center faster and more safely. Another councillor, Jaroslav Mí­tel... Jaroslav Míth (ODS), warned that the construction will be a "bitter pill" for residents: the Jižní spojka corridor will temporarily turn into a virtual wall, and the district faces numerous closures.

Launch timeline

Construction of the first section of Line D, between Pankrác and Nemocnice Krč, began in 2022. The start of the second phase — from Nemocnice Krč to Nové Dvory — was delayed by more than two years due to proceedings before the antitrust office.

According to the current schedule, train service between Pankrác and Nové Dvory is expected to open in 2032, and depending on how construction progresses, it may extend directly to Libuš or Písnice. The line will run fully automated trains without drivers. The entire line, all the way to Náměstí Míru, is planned for completion by 2036.

Read also: Prague Metro: map and tickets

Source: prazskypatriot.cz