What's in a Prague street name

Branický most was named in 1969.

In 1920, the Prague Railway Commission received a proposal for a railway bridge for freight transport. Construction began, somewhat abruptly, in 1949, before the design of the bridge had even been agreed on (this doesn’t sound like a great idea).

It’s thought that part of the reason for the sudden decision to get on with making the bridge was because, since the February Revolution, many educated people had been forced to take up blue-collar jobs, and new jobs needed to be created.

Despite successful tests in 1955 (well, partially successful – one of the two tracks was removed, and presumably didn’t pass the tests), it wasn’t until 1964 that the bridge was opened to rail traffic. There is a walkway for pedestrians.

It got its name in 1969 – for a bit about Braník, see https://whatsinapraguestreetname.com/2025/11/18/prague-4-day-233-branicka/, which is all the more apt today, as this is our last Braník street, and we’ll be moving into Hodkovičky for *checks* 26 days tomorrow.

However, because of the former professions of those who helped build it, it was long called ‘Most Inteligence’ – Intelligentsia Bridge by the locals. There were even attempts in 2014 to make this its official name.

From 2023 to 2024, the bridge was double-tracked in order to allow for diverted passenger trains (and to do something nice for its 60th birthday): https://www.railwaypro.com/wp/traffic-to-begin-on-a-double-tracked-bridge-in-prague/.