General Patton´s Bridge in Plzeň opens to traffic

The current I/20 through road in the section between Rokycanská and Na Roudné streets runs through Tyršova, Jízdecká, Přemyslova streets, the General Patten´s bridge and Karlovarská street. This is the most heavily trafficked town roadway where public transport meets the transit one, incl. the heavy load traffic. The situation is further complicated by the tram and public transport (buses and trolleybuses) traffic as well as by the fact that two 1st class roads converge there - I/20 and I/26 in Tyršova street, I/20 and I/27 in Karlovarská street and three 1st class roads in Přemyslova street).

A rather complicated preparation preceded the bridge reconstruction itself. As there was neither a record of project documentation nor any other document from the 1970´s (the time when the bridge had been constructed) available, a very exacting diagnostics, incl. the loading tests, preceded the project preparation. After that, the load-carrying capacity of the bridge structure was recalculated. During the reconstruction, all these assumptions proved to be accurate and appropriate to the real state of the bridge. Newly used calotte bearings are used on the bridge.