Plzeň residents will have Italian quartz on the square instead of asphalt in September

Plzeň - In mid-September, the citizens of Plzeň will be able to walk on the new surface of Republic Square, half of which will be paved with Italian quartz. Currently, about one-third of the square is covered with stone, which had been asphalted for about 15 years. Roman Dohnal, the technical deputy of the city's investment department, stated this to ČTK.
    So far, no major Czech city has reportedly chosen a similar stone, which is often used for paving in France, Germany, and Austria. "I see it every day and I'm incredibly happy with the new paving," said Mayor Miroslav Kalous. However, he admitted that the reactions of Plzeň residents are not always positive.
    According to Dohnal, the city has already purchased enough paving for nearly half of the square. "If there are no trucks driving over it, it will last for hundreds of years," he said. Dohnal mentioned that regular laboratory tests of the paving are being conducted. Once the first part of the new area is opened, the city will only allow meter vehicles there. A parking area for approximately 30 vehicles will return in front of the town hall.
    The construction, costing 155 million crowns, will last until November 2007, when the entire 1.6-hectare area should be covered with Italian quartz. It will have a 70 percent gray-green color, and the rest will be gray-red. The square, which will take on the appearance from the turn of the 19th to the 20th century, will see the return of summer restaurants, fountains, and benches. The currently ongoing first phase of the renovation from the town hall side to St. Bartholomew's Cathedral will cost 43 million crowns. It started at the end of last year and will finish on September 15. The second phase of the renovation of the central area will begin on August 1. It will last until January 2007 and will cost 42 million crowns. In addition to new layers, it includes the removal of the central roadway and the construction of posts for vendors.
    The last southern section will require 70 million crowns. It will begin in May 2007 and end in November. The construction of three fountains will cost an additional 20 to 30 million crowns.
    One-third of the costs for all phases consists of paving, its installation, and underlying layers. Originally, the town hall considered using granite cubes left over from the renovation of American Boulevard and French Street. "Porphyry is more even than cobblestones, easier to walk on, safer, and has the same color," Kalous added.