Zaragoza City Council has invested 10,769 euros to restore the clock, which had been out of service for a decade due to a lack of maintenance. Mayor Natalia Chueca explained that, after work was carried out in the square, the clock was left out of the municipal inventory and no longer received the maintenance needed to keep it running.
Chueca attended the launch alongside the clock. "A politician solves major construction projects, but must also address the everyday issues, the small things residents ask for," she said. Genoveva, a local resident watching the installation from a bench, summed up the joy: "We had really missed it."
GPS, BATTERY AND LED LIGHTING AS PART OF ITS RENOVATION
The work was not limited to repairing the mechanism. The support structure and power supply were also replaced to resolve problems affecting the installation, which could become dangerous when it got wet in the rain. The aim is for the clock to operate safely and reliably again.
Among the improvements is a GPS antenna that will automatically adjust the time and make it easier to maintain the clock. A battery has also been installed so it can keep running during a power outage, while LED lighting has been added so the time can also be checked at night.
The clock has stood in Canteras Square since 1975 and is an example of the advertising street furniture that became popular in Zaragoza’s neighborhoods during the 1970s. Chueca also recalled a request made to her at the time by Carlos Longás, a municipal worker who personally called for its restoration when she was regional minister for Public Services.
