The repair of Třebíč square was not delayed by the coronavirus or the weather

Třebíč – The work on the renovation of Třebíč's Karlovo Square has not slowed down due to the coronavirus or winter weather. It is proceeding according to schedule, although the construction company had to adjust some procedures due to archaeological findings. This was stated to ČTK by the city hall spokesperson Irini Martakidisová and site manager Radim Sochor. The reconstruction of the city center, costing approximately 133 million crowns (excluding VAT), is the largest investment in recent years in the city.

Work is primarily taking place in the central part and the southern side of the square. According to Sochor, the reconstruction of the gas pipeline will be completed there by the end of April. By the end of June, the final paving could already be laid in this area. A visible change in the appearance of the square is already the construction of a new staircase, which partially addresses the height unevenness of the square. The original narrow and steep stairs will be replaced by a more generously designed staircase, which will serve as a relaxation zone or a tribune during cultural events, thanks to incorporated seating areas. Its concrete structure will have a granite cladding.

After the upper part of the square is put into operation in the fall, work will move to the northern side of the square, which is currently being driven through. Parking in the square will be completely closed off in April, which is still operating to a limited extent. An alternative parking area is a private parking lot behind the department store on Smila Osovského Street. The city has rented it for 1,000 crowns per month per space, with 130 parking spaces available, according to the contract registry. For drivers, the parking fees are the same as in Karlovo Square, namely ten crowns for half an hour or 30 crowns per hour.

The ground of the square, which is near the Jihlava River, is muddy. The builders originally assumed that they would stabilize it and drain it by mixing soil with lime, which would mean disturbing historical and archaeologically valuable layers. "So we had to change the construction layers; we will increase the thickness of the gravel base," said Sochor.

The archaeological survey is being carried out by the Museum of Vysočina Jihlava, led by Aleš Hoch. According to him, the modern and medieval layers lie just below the pavement because the more recent ones were removed in the past. Archaeologists have unearthed a number of ceramic, metal, and wooden artifacts from the soil. They also uncovered late medieval and modern sewer systems, the foundations of stone shops, and the remains of wooden structures dated to the 12th and 13th centuries. In the western part of the square, they also found several bread ovens. "It seems that they formed a separate district within the extensive settlement here from the 12th to the first half of the 13th century. It cannot be ruled out that some were originally part of the interiors of above-ground wooden buildings," Hoch said.

The renovation of the square began last fall and is scheduled to be completed in September 2022. The design for the transformation of the approximately two-hectare square was developed by the Brno Atelier R.A.W. It includes new paving, parking areas, greenery, furniture, and a return of water features.