Historical and Modern Bridges over the Elbe-Vltava Waterway

Abstract

The Elbe-Vltava Waterway (EVW) consists of continuously navigable sections of the Vltava and Elbe rivers in the Czech Republic comprising a total length of over 300 km. Most of the length of this waterway was obtained by building a system of interconnected weir basins using the canalization method. Detailed plans for making this waterway navigable started in the early 19th century, and the construction of the structures was enabled by the Austro-Hungarian Water Act of 1869. So, most locks along this waterway constitute a part of industrial heritage. Among its main structures are weirs, hydroelectric power stations and locks designed by pre-eminent Czech architects of the 19th and early-20th centuries. Many of them are excellent examples of modernist industrial architecture. Since the beginning of construction of the weir system along the EVW, bridge construction also came into focus in order to provide transportation access to both banks of the Elbe and Vltava rivers in this historically heavily urbanised area of Bohemia. This article deals with the historical development of bridge constructions over the EVW, systematically categorising them as road, railway and pedestrian bridges. Focus is on the basic technical aspects of the bridge design and technical solution, but also on their historical value and the need for a sensitive approach to their modernisation. The goal of the research is to complete the current web application www.lvvc.cz devoted to the EVW structures with the architectonically and technically most interesting bridges, including their histories. The system has been designed as an expert system, making the archived historical documents, maps, plans and photographs available for use by government institutions as well as by the general public for education and for the protection of this technical cultural heritage. The research was conducted as part of project no. DG18P02OVV004 entitled “Documentation and presentation of technical cultural heritage along the Elbe-Vltava Waterway” within a support programme for applied research and experimental development of national and cultural identity, funded by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic.