Zach Crawford
The safety and consolidation phase of the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, which was badly damaged two years ago by a fire, has come to an end. This was announced by the public body responsible for work on the monument, indicating that the restoration phase had now begun.
“The safety and reinforcement work that started on April 16, 2019 (the day after the fire) has been completed according to the set schedule,” a statement said. “The cathedral is now completely safe” after this phase which included in particular the dismantling of the scaffolding that surrounded the building at the time of the fire, the arrangement of the great organ, the opening of the construction sites to the cleaning of the congregations, – the placing of wooden trusses under the arches and the securing of the vault of the pavilion.
At the same time, “the restoration phase has been actively prepared – read the press release – and is now definitively underway to begin the first restoration work this winter.”
President Emmanuel Macron had promised, immediately after the fire, to rebuild the cathedral within 5 years. The construction site will not meet this deadline but by April 16, 2024 the cathedral can reopen to the faithful. On that day, as announced by General Georgelin, head of the Reconstruction Authority, Mass will be celebrated again in the main nave. The Foundation will issue bids for the works and select the companies that will have to participate in the restoration site.
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Laurence Malcom
