The reconstruction of Nerudova Square in Liberec will not be completed next year

Liberec September 24 - The reconstruction of Nerudovo Square in Liberec is unlikely to be completed next year. The costs are estimated at ten million crowns, which the city hall does not currently have in its budget for next year. Lukáš Martin, the deputy mayor of Liberec for development, told Czech News Agency today. The city hall invested 14.5 million crowns this year into the repair of the streets around the square, with work expected to finish in mid-October, but the square itself will only be temporarily covered and will wait for completion.
    The reconstruction of Nerudovo Square in the so-called upper center of the city and the adjoining streets has been in preparation by the city hall for several years. The project was presented a year ago by the former city hall led by the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) and included the establishment of a relaxation zone with trees, benches, and significant parking restrictions. However, after the elections, the newly elected leadership of the city hall halted the project and decided to only repair the surrounding streets this year.
    It was still supposed to be decided how the square would look. Beneath the pavement lie hundreds of Austrian soldiers who fell in one of the battles of the Seven Years' War in 1757. Archaeologists therefore disliked the plans to plant trees there, as their roots could disturb the graves. "We have already received a revised study of the square that includes smaller trees and a memorial to commemorate the victims of the battle. However, parking spaces will also remain there," Martin said. According to him, it has been shown that the spots are needed in the area. "The parking lot is constantly occupied, even though it is among the most expensive in the city," he explained.
    The repairs to the streets around Nerudovo Square have greatly complicated life not only for the people and businesses nearby but for most residents of Liberec. The traffic restrictions that it has caused are indeed longer than planned. The reconstruction of Rumjancevova Street near the Regional Scientific Library was supposed to end on August 7, but it will now last at least two months longer. The reason was the failure of a gas pipeline and a century-old water pipe. "If the network owners had not replaced it, there would have been a risk that the repaired road would need to be dug up again later due to a pipeline accident," Martin stated. Repairs on the street will not finish until the second week of October.
    Nerudovo Square is not the only square in Liberec waiting for reconstruction. Liberec must prioritize the repair of Soukenné Square in the lower center. Although the city hall canceled the project a year ago due to a lack of funds, according to a recent decision by the antimonopoly office, it did so unlawfully. The city now has to pay a fine and legal costs of 130,000 crowns, and the contract for 17 million crowns, won by the construction company Syner, must be carried out. According to Jiří Šolc, the city hall's deputy for the economy, negotiations with Syner are currently ongoing to postpone the construction to next year, as they still lack funds.