Braník Bridge, Railway and pedestrian bridge in Braník district, Prague, Czech Republic
Braník Bridge is a 950-metre reinforced-concrete railway bridge with a pedestrian walkway set between the tracks, crossing the Vltava valley between Malá Chuchle and Braník. It has 15 spans of 53.5 metres, stands 19 metres above the river, and its deck rises 6 metres from one end to the other.
The idea of a freight rail bypass around Prague was raised by engineers from 1920, but work on the bridge began abruptly in 1949 without a finished transport plan. It was built 1949–1955 and opened to rail traffic on 30 May 1964 with the single-track southern link; the bridge was officially named Branický most only in 1969.
Local residents refer to the structure as the Bridge of Intelligence, reflecting the period when professors, lawyers, and other professionals worked on its construction.
The pedestrian walkway runs down the middle of the deck between the two tracks, separated from them by fences and lit. It links Malá Chuchle with Braník; the bridge also crosses the Strakonická and Modřanská roads and the Modřany tram line. A branch midway along the western arch was built for a planned tunnel to Hlubočepy and Jinonice that was never realised.
The structure was built with fifteen spans, where the longest section spans just over 53 meters, showcasing advanced post-war engineering methods. This design allowed the bridge to cross the wide river while using fewer support piers.
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