A complete facelift. This is what the perimeter of the cathedral will experience in the coming months, with the ambition to “enhance the surroundings” of the building, according to the City of Chartres.
This surface development program is part of the overall requalification of the Notre-Dame cloister and the creation of a cultural and tourist center under the cathedral esplanade.
Bitumen “permanently banned”
After the renovation of the underground dry and wet networks, which took place between January and April 2023, the rehabilitation work on the Notre-Dame cloister has entered a new stage.
The latter began at the beginning of October 2023, at rue des Acacias, which borders the Saint-Yves hotel. Traffic is currently blocked and a diversion has been put in place via rue au Lait.
Here is the future face of the esplanade of Notre-Dame de Chartres cathedral
The City’s goal is to give another image to this district, the last in the city center which has not undergone any major restoration: “It is a question of continuing the redevelopment of the city center begun at the beginning of the 2000s, and also recompose an urban space highlighting the building.”
Concretely, six sectors around the cathedral have been demarcated, with a specific phasing plan. The work, for each of them, should last between three to six months.
“Each sector will be finalized before the start of work on the next. The aim being to disrupt as little as possible the accessibility of local residents, emergency services, services and tourists to businesses during the work,” specifies the City, which also wishes, disrupt the 2024 summer season as little as possible.
This program extends the pedestrian development of the heart of the city within a perimeter of 7,525 m², which includes the royal portal, the south portal, the north portal, rue Saint-Yves, rue aux Herbes, the rue des Acacias and rue des Changes. An area steeped in history from which bitumen will be permanently banned.
What does the construction site around Chartres Cathedral consist of, which begins in January 2023?
The objective of this development is to offer a unified overall visual appearance: bitumen replaced by hard limestone paving known as Bugey with a light tint, integrated public and heritage lighting, facades cleared of networks whenever this is necessary. possible, elimination of the difference in height between the road and the sidewalks, work with traders on the terraces… The City of Chartres will invest 6 million euros over two years for this work.
Development of the esplanade of Notre-Dame de Chartres cathedral. Jean-Christophe Rousseau – Michel Cantal Dupart.
For the moment, as part of the first phase, workers have dug trenches, rue des Acacias, in order to renovate the various networks (water, gas, electricity, etc.). Construction is also underway at rue Saint-Yves. These two developments are due to be completed in January 2024.
Claire Béguin and Simon Dechet
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