Repair of the lower part of Wenceslas Square will cost 326.6 million CZK

Prague - The repair of the lower part of Prague's Wenceslas Square will cost approximately 326.6 million crowns. The work will be carried out for the city by Hochtief, which won the tender. This is stated in the material that was approved today by the Prague councilors. The repair will take place based on a project from the architectural office Cigler Marani Architects, which was created back in 2005. In the future, the upper part of the square will also be renovated, where trams will return.

The revitalization concerns the part of the square from Můstek to the junction of Vodičkova and Jindřišská streets. According to the proposed contract, the selected company will take over the construction site from the city within five days of signing the contract. In the following five days, it will have to start the work. The overall construction period must not exceed 24 months. According to the document approved by the councilors, the city is to sign a contract with the contractor no later than December 14 of this year.

The pedestrian area is to be expanded, and only vehicles with permission will be allowed to enter the square. The space for cars will thus be reduced, but access to buildings will remain preserved. Drinking fountains will be added, as well as a base for placing the Christmas tree. All greenery will be irrigated using an automatic system. Repairs that needed to be done underground, such as relocations of engineering networks, have already been carried out in the lower part of the square.

Prague's leadership is also planning a reconstruction in the upper part, where tram tracks will return. Trams will run along the route of today's car lanes. In the past, the tracks were in the center of the square. A second row of trees will be added to the square, parking spaces will be reduced, and the central space will be expanded against the original plan. The city is now preparing the documentation necessary for obtaining a zoning decision and a building permit. Construction is expected to begin in 2022.

Wenceslas Square is 682 meters long and approximately 60 meters wide. Originally named Horse Market, it was established by a decree of Charles IV. In the 19th century, it was first renamed St. Wenceslas Square and later Wenceslas Square.