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An ancient artifact is getting a twenty-first century upgrade. I’m Brian Banmiller on Business.

Thanks to a new high-tech project the Roman colosseum is once again getting a floor. The culture minister says people will be able to walk on it and go to the center of the colosseum. This will allow visitors to see it the same way visitors did at the end of the 19th century. The last floor was removed by archaeologists to get a better idea of the labyrinth of rooms and corridors beneath the arena. This is where the gladiators were held and how they came to the main fighting floor. When it was removed it was never replaced. Now this project will restore how it looked when the brutal fights to the death took place. The new wooden floor will be made up of hundreds of slats that can be rotated to bring natural light into the underground chambers. The new flooring will be completed in about two years. The colosseum is Italy’s most popular tourist attraction bringing in almost eight million visitors in 2019. A number they’re hoping to top. Brian Banmiller, CBS News.

About Brian

CBS News Radio national business journalist Brian Banmiller has spent more than 40 years in the news industry, covering business, politics and the economy on television, radio and in print. Currently, his “Banmiller on Business” reports are delivered to an audience of millions nationwide.