TV 13 – Tunnels of the Prague Inner Ring Road: Myslbekova Street to Pelc Tyrolka (the Blanka Tunnel Complex), the Strahov and Mrázovka Tunnels

Date: 4 October 2023 9:00–13:00 EN / 13:30–17:30 FR, ES,CZ

The Blanka Tunnel Complex (BTC) forms the north-western part of the Prague Inner Ring Road (PIRR), running from Myslbekova Street to the Pelc Tyrolka district (total length 6.382 km). It consists of two one-way tunnels, each with an overall length of 5.5 km. The BTC consists of the Brusnice Tunnel (1.4 km), the Dejvice Tunnel (1.0 km) and the Bubeneč Tunnel (3.07 km) located in this order in the direction from the western part of the RR that is already in operation. Construction began in 2006, and the entire complex was put into service on 19 September 2015. Following a brief period, the complex became an integral part of Prague’s road system, and average traffic intensity can be as high as 93,000 vehicles per day (in 2022), making it the busiest road tunnels in the capital city.

The Strahov Tunnel leads from the Smíchov district and underneath Strahov (below the Strahov stadium) and links to the Brusnice Tunnel in the north, at the border of the Břevnov and Střešovice districts. It consists of two tubes, each with two lanes. It is 2,004 metres long, of which the driven part is 1,544 m long. The construction began in 1985 and it opened in 1997. It was the first and longest project of its type in the Czech Republic.

The Mrázovka Tunnel passes underneath a hill of the same name in Prague’s Smíchov district. It is 1,260 m long and opened on 26 August 2004. At its north side, it links to the Strahov Tunnel through a bridge over Plzeňská Street and to the Plzeňská and Vrchlického Streets through a flyover exchange. It has two tubes with three lanes in each part in the north side as far as the Radlice tunnel crossing; from there on to the south, it only has two lanes in each tube.

This visit will include a trip through the entire tunnel complex from the Mrázovka Tunnel through the Strahov Tunnel to the Blanka Tunnel Complex with an expert commentary. The tour will end at the Troja Bridge. The road and tram Troja Bridge over the Vltava River links to the Myslbekova – Pelc Tyrolka tunnel complex and was opened on 6 October 2014. In addition to tram routes, it also handles car traffic and serves pedestrians and cyclists. The bridge is 262.1 m long, 36 m wide, its main span is 200.4 m, and the total height of the superstructure is 34 m above the maximum navigation height. The visit will continue with a trip to the head office of METROSTAV, a.s., the company that delivered a major portion of the construction of these infrastructure facilities. Visitors will have an opportunity to listen to an expert lecture on the construction of the complexes

Excursion programme:
Morning                  Afternoon
09.00 – 09.30         13.30 – 14.00
transfer from the Prague Congress Centre to Smichov

09.30 – 10.30         14.00 – 15.00
tour of the Mrázovka Tunnel, Strahov Tunnel and Blanka tunnel complex with a guided tour on the bus, exit at the Troja Bridge

10.30 – 11.30           15.00 – 4.00
tour of the Troja Bridge, transfer to the headquarters METROSTAV, a.s. in Libeň

11.30 – 12.30           16.00 – 17.00
general interpretation of the construction of these works in the educational centre of the company

12.30 – 13.00          17.00 – 17.30
transfer from Libeň to the Prague Congress Centre