The Dukelských hrdinů Square in Pardubice will undergo reconstruction

Pardubice - The Dukla Heroes Square in Pardubice is set to undergo reconstruction after decades. The city district will repair the damaged concrete surface that is full of potholes and plans to change parking rules as well. For the construction, which is set to begin in June or July, 12 million crowns has been allocated. This was announced today by the mayor of the city district, V. Jiří Rejda (ANO).

"I am an optimist. We could light the Christmas tree in the square," said Rejda.

The concrete area will continue to serve as a parking lot, but parking on the sidewalks should come to an end. The town hall will plant greenery in pots in the square, so they can be moved in case of further renovations. The mayor estimates that around a hundred parking spaces will remain in the center of the housing estate. The area will also serve as a venue for cultural events.

The rectangular square, built in 1946, which is about a quarter of a kilometer long, has previously been used for military parades, among other things. Earlier projects for the square's reconstruction estimated costs in the tens of millions of crowns. An underground parking lot was also considered.

The town hall proposed a more economical version, saving most of the money from the budget, and will receive two million crowns from the city authority. It will also use granite paving stones free of charge, which have been stored from other construction projects by the Services of the City of Pardubice. During the repairs, drivers will need to find alternative parking spaces on the surrounding streets.

"Former mayors tried to push through their projects, but unfortunately they were too expensive and there was no funding for them," said Alena Chuchlíková, head of the investment and administration department.

"It's a terrible shame. The square doesn't look nice. I have lived in Dukla for years, since ‘55. Dukla deserves something better," said resident of the housing estate, Jaroslava Černíková, to ČTK.

Before the square's reconstruction begins, the waterworks will be working in the housing estate. They will repair the local road running alongside the houses and the Letka restaurant because they plan to replace the sewage network. The two green areas with the memorials of Jan Kašpar and the fallen aviators, which border the square, will not be reconstructed yet by the town hall.