With still no continuous road circling Prague, many drivers are forced to venture into the capital in some parts of their travels. Even without them, Prague’s roads barely withstand the daily traffic produced by its 1.3 million inhabitants. Yesterday, repairs began on one of the roads most pressured by this problem, Jižní spojka, loosely translated – the Southern Connection. This caused a traffic jam spanning many kilometres, even reaching the D1, which some readers might recall is both the aorta and vena cava of the metaphorical circulatory system that is the Czech road system. The police are asking all citizens to avoid travelling through this section of the road if at all possible. If not possible, drivers must expect a multiple hour delay. This is yet another reason for the construction of a road capable of efficiently diverting traffic from this part of the city to be finally finished. However, the construction of such a road is a political problem. This one specifically is likely a struggle between the capital’s satellite villages, which presumably all want the road built, while not wanting it to go near their village. A road like this generates a lot of noise, likely decreasing real estate value. But as is clear from yesterday’s news, Prague needs this road as soon as possible.
