The renovation of October 28 Square in Hradec Králové is completed

Hradec Králové - The extensive renovation of October 28 Square and several adjacent streets in downtown Hradec Králové is now complete, albeit with a roughly one-month delay. The city hall took over the construction, which cost nearly 100 million crowns, in recent days. City hall spokesperson Magdaléna Vlčková informed ČTK today. The square's reconstruction was one of the largest investments made by the city last year, partially funded by grants from EU funds.
    The city hall has not yet decided on whether to impose any penalties on the construction company due to the late completion of the project. According to the contract, the reconstruction was to be completed by November 30. The city hall does not rule out that workers may return to the construction site to fix any defects. "As with any other construction, part of the handover process will also include the creation of a list of potential unfinished work and defects, just like other projects," Vlčková stated.
    The reason for the one-month delay, according to the city and the construction company Sovis, was the complications arising from concurrent repairs of the underground garages of Česká pojišťovna, located beneath the square. Complications during construction were also caused by the poor condition of the sewer system in S.K. Neumann Street.
    The reconstruction of the square and the adjacent streets Dukelská and S.K. Neumann began in the summer of 2012 and was plagued by problems almost from the start. For example, the road repairs were supposed to be completed by the end of December 2012, but public transport buses did not return to them until last May. The city justified the delays by difficulties with relocating old utility lines as well as last year's frosts. The slow progress of the repairs was criticized by residents and some local merchants at that time.
    The renovated square features new pavement, a fountain, and a water drain, while the area has been equipped with new furniture and lighting. Near the Tesco department store, a space with covered tables for vendors has been created.
    The city had been considering the square's reconstruction since the early 1990s. The initial study included the establishment of fast food outlets in the square, which sparked a wave of protests from the city's residents.