Hradec's Great Square is awaiting the repair of water pipes and sewage

photo: Michal Louč

Hradec Králové - In Hradec Králové's Great Square, the repair of water, sewer, and gas pipelines will begin next year. The city hall originally wanted to address all interventions in this area during the overall reconstruction that had been prepared for several years. However, in August of this year, the ministry postponed the start of work due to a submitted objection of bias. This was reported today by spokesperson of the Hradec Králové city hall, Magdaléna Vlčková.

The company Vodovody a kanalizace Hradec Králové plans to repair approximately 890 meters of water pipelines and an estimated 690 meters of sewer lines in Great Square in 2017 and 2018. "The pipelines are in poor technical condition and delaying their repair in the regime of construction modifications is no longer possible," stated Pavel Loskot, technical and operational deputy of Vodovody a kanalizace Hradec Králové. The company is currently completing the preparation of project documentation, and construction work could begin by March of next year at the latest.

The objection against the Hradec Králové city hall was submitted by the company Hradecká realitní, and the ministry for local development decided that the building authority of the Hradec Králové city hall is biased in this matter, and the entire file is now being handled by the building authority in Hořice. The city hall assumes that if the company submitting the objections and appeals utilizes all legal options, the comprehensive reconstruction could start as late as 2019.

"The postponement of the planned start of reconstruction means not only complications and delays in the construction process but has also disrupted agreements with network managers, according to which the renovation of the square was supposed to coincide with the replacement of emergency sections of water, sewer, or gas pipelines. The surface of the square is in such condition in many places that the city will have to ensure the most necessary repairs in the near future. The inability to carry out these actions simultaneously will mean not only higher costs but also a significantly longer period of occupation of the square for construction purposes," added Romana Lišková, deputy mayor of the city.

Hradec Králové has been planning the repair of the square in the historical center of the city for about 200 million crowns for several years. The commencement of the square's reconstruction has also been complicated by the lack of consent from property owners adjacent to the square. The city plans to repair the square according to the proposal of ARN studio by architect Jiří Krejčík. His design divides the square into a lively part with parking, arcades, and restaurants, and a quieter, relaxing part dominated by ecclesiastical buildings on the southern side. The Hradec Králové city hall obtained European funding for the construction, but in 2012, the city returned the money due to concerns that it would not meet the deadline set by the grant.