Last month, contractors laid the final layer of bricks, which will cover Lillian Ngoyi Street for the foreseeable future.
After more than two years of repairs, the City of Johannesburg is finally set to reopen Lilian Ngoyi Street, following a massive gas explosion that damaged the road, disrupting the flow of traffic and affecting consumers and businesses.
City of Johannesburg Executive Mayor Dada Morero, among other officials, is expected to reopen the route on Monday morning.
Phase 1
The occasion marks the completion of Phase One of the Lilian Ngoyi Street rehabilitation project.
One person died and 48 others were injured in the explosion when the major corridor, formerly known as Bree Street split in two during peak hour traffic on 20 July 2023.
ALSO READ: Joburg gas line fire ‘an isolated incident’
Businesses and commuters were severely affected by missed deadlines, as the repair work took nearly 26 months to complete, which was double the initial deadline.
Repairs
An oversight visit by DA members in July raised concerns about whether the repairs would be completed by 1 September.
The final aspects of the surface-level phase of the project were implemented, including the road surface and the backfilling of stormwater services.
Last month, contractors laid the final layer of bricks, which will cover Lillian Ngoyi Street for the foreseeable future.
Cost
JRA Operation Manager Ridhwaan Mahomed explained that the previous tunnel under the road was a small masonry structure which bundled the electrical service, water and sewer lines into one channel.
While JRA do not expect a repeat explosion, the tunnel under the street has been rebuilt with increased ventilation to prevent the build-up of pressure by allowing gases to escape.
The budget for the rebuild has so far been a few million short of R200 million, and required the replacement of the initial contractor due to poor performance.
This 450-meter rebuild is just the first phase of work to be undertaken on Lilian Ngoyi Street, with a second rehabilitation phase scheduled to commence in September.
Additional reporting by Jarryd Westerdale
ALSO READ: Another explosion rocks Johannesburg
