Notre Dame Cathedral will be completed as planned on December 8, 2024.

French President Emmanuel Macron pledged that the restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris will be completed as planned on December 8, 2024.

Notre Dame Cathedral. (Source: vntrip)

The French leader made the statement on December 8 during a visit to Notre Dame Cathedral and inspection of restoration work, after a serious fire on April 15, 2019 destroyed many important parts of this historic site.

Speaking to the press, President Macron confidently affirmed: "We will complete it on schedule."

The restoration of the architectural work recognized by the United Nations Educational , Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a World Heritage Site has encountered many obstacles.

President Macron initially pledged to restore Notre Dame within five years, in time to reopen the site in time for Paris to host the 2024 Summer Olympics. However, that timeline was scrapped after construction was delayed for months to allow for lead decontamination efforts, after more than 300 tons of lead from the cathedral's roof melted in the fire.

Then, weather factors as well as the lockdown to prevent the Covid-19 epidemic also interrupted the church's restoration work.

Difficulties in implementation have forced President Macron to set a new milestone for the completion of the restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral, which is an attractive destination that attracts more than 12 million visitors each year.

At present, the new spire of Notre Dame Cathedral has appeared majestically - albeit incompletely - in the Parisian skyline. This project is expected to be completed when the "City of Light" hosts the 2024 Olympics.

It will be an exact replica of the 96m-high spire designed and added to the cathedral by Viollet-Le-Duc in the 19th century. The new spire will be made of oak and covered with lead. The spire's 80-ton wooden base rests on stone arches 30m above the cathedral's central part.

According to President Macron, France will hold a design competition for six modern stained glass windows for Notre Dame Cathedral, to create a unique "21st-century highlight" for this world- famous building. If other options are not feasible, these windows will be remade according to the original version.

He also announced that he would build in Paris a museum dedicated to Notre Dame Cathedral, as well as its historical and artistic significance and “permanent reconstruction”.

French authorities are still investigating to determine the cause of the fire. According to preliminary conclusions, this could be an accident due to an electrical problem or someone carelessly threw away a cigarette butt.

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