Quality flat paving from natural stone instead of present crumbling asphalt surface, stylish benches and street lighting or the new artwork. This is how the Cheb pedestrian zone will look like in two years.

The town managed to gain a record grant from the Regional Operation Programme in the amount of 127 million of which 116,7 European Union contributes and 10,3 comes from the state.

„Total costs are expected to exceed 141 million but the town only pays 14,5 million thanks to the grant," the vice-mayor Miroslav Plevný says. „The eight years long effort to gain money for the pedestrian zone is at its end and the big debt to citizens and visitors will be paid at last. Up to now we just could envy neat pedestrian zones to other towns," mayor Jan Svoboda added.

Besides the pedestrian zone extensive renewals of the neighbouring streets sections, mainly Májová Street which will be restored from the crossroad with Valdštejnova Street to the crossroad with Dukelská Street. The work is divided into three periods. „This year part of the pedestrian zone between Májová Street and Evropská Street will be restored, next year the second half from Májová Street to the square.

In 2011 Májová Street will be restored and in the intersection with pedestrian zone significantly narrowed down in that period because of pedestrians´safety." vice-mayor Michal Pospíšil said. The pedestrian zone design was created by the prestigeous A69-Architects studio.

A kind of little squares paved in different styles will rise in two places - in front of the department store and near the intersection with Májová Street. In the upper part of the square where a sculpture used to be a kind of artwork will appear, the form of which will come out from competition of tenders. Integrating element of the whole pedestrian zone will be a metal band set into the pavement and passing through all sections of the pedestrian zone. This band will be presented as a time axis showing important events of the town history.

„Our design does not present a radical architectonic idea. The aim is to calm down and refine the pedestrian zone to bring safety and lucidity. The restoration should create harmonic milieu inviting both local citizens and tourists and give better conditions for running shops and restaurants.

Pedestrian zone as a natural urban boulevard shoul become an alternative to large shopping centres," architect Boris Redčenkov, one of the design authors, said.