The Czech Directorate of Roads and Motorways has closed the key exit ramp from the D7 motorway toward Václav Havel Airport when approaching from Kladno and Slaný between 9 and 25 September. The closure diverts all airport-bound traffic through a single-lane service road, lengthening the usual 20-minute drive from the western suburbs to well over 45 minutes during the morning rush. The works involve emergency resurfacing of bridge joints discovered during a routine inspection at the start of the month. Because the ramp lies inside the airport’s critical-infrastructure protection zone, repairs must be carried out in daylight under strict safety regimes, limiting night-time construction options. Airport authorities have advised travellers to allow an extra hour and to consider using the Airport Express rail-bus link from Prague’s main railway station. Ride-hailing company Bolt meanwhile imposed a CZK 80 ‘airport congestion surcharge’, citing driver idle-time. Logistics providers are feeling the pinch as well. DHL and UPS told clients that late-evening export cut-off times for express shipments have been advanced by 90 minutes to compensate for traffic uncertainty. The Prague Hotels Association says several tour groups missed welcome dinners after coaches were stuck on the detour route. While the project is on schedule, any weather-related slip would push completion into the busy last week of September, coinciding with the European School Holidays. Stakeholders across tourism and freight are urging motorists to track live traffic maps and factor in the disruption when planning meetings or connecting flights.
Source: Václav Havel Airport Prague
