Drivers heading to Václav Havel Airport Prague can once again use the direct exit from the D7 motorway after the closure that started on 9 September was lifted overnight. The ramp—which connects the capital’s main airport with traffic arriving from Kladno, Slaný and the north-western Czech regions—had been completely shut to allow reconstruction of the multilevel Aviatická × Lipská intersection, a bottleneck that has long hampered access to the terminals. Airport officials confirmed that the works were completed on schedule late on 25 September and that normal traffic patterns resumed in the early hours of 26 September. During the 16-day closure, travellers were forced onto a 12-kilometre signed detour that added 15-30 minutes to a typical airport run. Taxi firms reported surcharges, while corporate shuttle operators had to block additional buffer time—particularly painful for early-morning long-haul departures. Czech Airlines and several foreign carriers even adjusted check-in closure times to compensate. The intersection rebuild is part of a CZK 2.1 billion upgrade of the D7 corridor, designed to provide three full lanes in each direction all the way to the airport before the 2028 summer tourist peak. According to the Transport Ministry, the current phase replaced ageing bridge joints and laid new noise-dampening asphalt. Follow-up work will continue behind safety barriers through October but is not expected to require further full closures, limiting future disruption to off-peak lane narrowing. For business travellers and mobility managers the reopening removes a persistent scheduling uncertainty. Travel-management companies advising assignees heading to Prague are already shortening recommended lead-times for airport transfers from two hours back to the pre-works norm of 75-90 minutes. Logistics operators moving air-cargo to the airport’s freight zone also stand to benefit from more predictable journey times. Prague Airport nonetheless urges passengers to monitor its live traffic feed and to leave additional time during rush-hour until drivers re-adjust to the restored routing. Road-signage for the temporary detour will be taken down over the weekend, and navigation apps are expected to update automatically within 24 hours.
Source: Prague Airport traffic notice
