Čech bridge was constructed in 1905-1908, as a direct consequence of redevelopment of the previous Jewish Town. It should have become a part of the generously drawn route Wenceslas Square, Old-Town Square, Prague Avenue, Dejvice. However, the determining buildings, breaking through Melantrichova Street and dugway through Letná hillside have not been realized.
Architecture of the Čech Bridge is work of professor of Czech Technical university ing. arch. Jan Koula, calculation of three arches and both pillars was made by ing. arch. Jiří Soukup. Water, gas and electric lines were installed into the steel bridge structure during assembly. Three bridge arches have dimensions of 48, 53 a 59 m, total length of the bridge is 169 m, and width is 16 m. Each bay was delivered by different supplier. Three Prague companies Bratři Prášilové a spol., Pražské akciové strojírny and Českomoravská továrna na stroje participated in that. The bridge road surface was originally made of wood-block pavement from hardwood, that was replaced with bitumen surface later.
Big attention was paid to the art decoration of the bridge. There are dominating bronze figures of for Victorias, Goddess of victory, two and two on each and of the bridge, placed on the tops of 17,5 m high cast-iron columns. The sculptures, over three meters high, are pieces of academic sculptor Antonín Popp. The columns rest on the roofs of stone booths and they are hollow for anchoring Victorias. The booths served for the bridge toll collectors.
Art Nouveau Bridge of Svatopluk Čech (1846-1908), named in the honour of great Czech poet and writer, was ceremoniously opened on 6th June 1908. It is justly called a representative bridge construction in the capital of Prague. It changed its name only once during its existence. In 1940-1945 it was called Bridge of Mendel. Řehoř Jan Mendel (1822-1884), Augustinian from Brno, was a founder of so-called Mendel’s inheritance theory.
Till now the last huge reconstruction of the bridge, which requested long-term traffic closure, was realized in period from 5th October 2000 to 16th June 2001.
