The reconstruction of Dolní náměstí in Olomouc will be completed in mid-June

Olomouc - The reconstruction of Lower Square in the historic center of Olomouc, which started last February and will cost nearly 130 million crowns, is set to finish in mid-June. Construction companies will then repair the adjacent streets that were burdened by the traffic of trucks and construction machinery during the square's reconstruction. This was stated today by Mayor Martin Novotný (ODS).
    "We are aware that the reconstruction of Lower Square has taken quite a long time and significantly affected life in the city center. However, I believe that the new look of the renovated square will be a fitting reward for Olomouc residents for their patience with the detailed archaeological survey and the subsequent construction work," said Novotný.
    The completion of Lower Square is scheduled for June 15, and in the following two to three months, the square will gradually be equipped with 30 benches, six bicycle racks, and 17 trash bins. The project also includes lighting for local monuments.
    New lamps will also be installed in Lower Square, which the city hall plans to equip neighboring Upper Square with at the latest next year. "We would like to install the same lamps, as in the narrow neck connecting both squares, also in Upper Square. This will unify the city center, and the new type of lighting should also solve the very discussed insufficient intensity of the existing lamps in Upper Square," said Novotný.
    The final step of the reconstruction will be the restoration of the Marian Column, which decorates the central part of Lower Square. The restoration of this national cultural monument will cost approximately one million crowns.
    Archaeologists found the foundations of a Romanesque church from the 12th century and a chapel of Saint Margaret from the 15th century during their survey of Lower Square before the reconstruction began. Among the valuable discoveries is also a burial site near the Neptune fountain. In the research area near the plague column, they also found stone and wooden sewer pipes from the 14th century and a full-area pavement at several levels from the 14th to the 16th century.
    The most valuable historical finds are planned to be presented by the city, for example, with a paved trace of the Romanesque church and a commemorative plaque in the pavement, which will be inscribed with a text explaining the finds of both churches. According to the mayor's deputy Ladislav Šnevajs (KDU-ČSL), the city managed to secure a grant from the regional operational program for the reconstruction of Lower Square, covering 85 percent of the costs.