The Road and Motorway Directorate has restricted traffic at night in the Lochkov and Cholupice tunnels on the Prague Ring Road, because of routine maintenance, until Sunday 4 October 2026.
Until Sunday 4 October 2026, night-time traffic restrictions apply in the Lochkov and Cholupice tunnels on the southwestern section of the Prague Ring Road. The reason is maintenance carried out by the Road and Motorway Directorate (ŘSD).[1][2]
Tunnel maintenance
ŘSD maintains the tunnels regularly, six times a year. In five cases they remain open with restricted traffic; during summer maintenance they are closed and drivers use a diversion route.[1][2][3] During the closures, technicians test all systems, from ventilation to fire-protection equipment.[3]
Part of the work is treatment of the road surface with a high-pressure water jet at a pressure of 2,000 to 2,750 bar. The jet removes the smoothed top layer of concrete without damaging its structure, so the road regains the roughness that prevents tyres from skidding on wet surfaces. According to Luděk Hubáček of ŘSD, the technological shutdown lasts ten to 12 hours, because the machines use a large amount of water and produce a sludge whose filtration takes time. Before the tunnel is opened, workers remove the remaining moisture, check the roughness and carry out an anti-skid measurement.[3]
The tunnels
The Lochkov tunnel is over 1.6 kilometres long, the Cholupice tunnel, also called the Komořany tunnel, over 1.9 kilometres. Both are part of the section of the Ring Road that has linked the D1 motorway and the D5 motorway since 2010. Tens of thousands of vehicles pass through daily; traffic is lighter at weekends.[1][2][3]
Related articles: Prague Ring Road
Chronology
- — Until Sunday, 4 October 2026, night-time traffic restrictions apply for maintenance in the Lochkov and Cholupice tunnels on the Prague Ring Road. Blesk.cz Pražský deník
Sources
- Blesk.cz — 2 October 2026
- Pražský deník — 2 October 2026
- Pražský deník — 2 October 2026