A reopening ceremony for Lilian Ngoyi Street was held on Monday, but commuter traffic will only return on 12 September.
The ceremonial ribbon over Lilian Ngoyi Street has been cut, but the new bricks will have to wait a few more days to welcome the hustle of commuter traffic.
A new look awaits drivers and pedestrians, as the old Bree Street moves away from its vehicle-centric past towards a reimagining of the way the public moves through Johannesburg’s heart.
A gas explosion on 19 July 2023 left the community shocked, then frustrated, but 774 days later, the mood was generally one of relief as business owners and residents looked forward to the return of normality.
Bricks and expanded sidewalks
Municipal entities rushed to complete the project in time for the 1 September deadline, and while the handover was officially conducted, full access for vehicles will not be permitted until 12 September.
Brickwork along the curbs, sidewalks and drain outlets are yet to be completed, as is the painting of road markings on the paved road surface.
Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) CEO Zweli Nyathi explained on Monday that the choice of brick instead of tar was due to the city’s overarching plan to reshape the city.
Monday marked the conclusion of phase one, with phase two and additional projects in motion to create a walkable network dubbed the transit mall concept.
Lilian Ngoyi Street’s four one-way lanes have been trimmed to three due to expanded sidewalks, with some sections down to two lanes where expanded platforms offer space for vendors.
Nyathi said the goal was “beautifying the city” and that the reduced lanes would lighten traffic, reduce jay-walking and promote the use of public transport.
“We don’t want our people to rely on heavy motor vehicle influx into the CBD, but we want to promote mobility. People must walk, people must feel safe,” said Nyathi.
Local business sentiment
As the stage was erected at the corner of Loveday Street, awaiting the dignitaries on Monday morning, business owners expressed concerns about the new design of the street.
One business owner, who declined to be named, called the reopening ceremony a “farce” and questioned why compensation had not been offered to business owners for their financial losses.
The owner of a fast-food takeaway said business had dropped by 70% over the last two years and felt that the introduction of additional vendors threatened potential business recoveries.
Temesgen Choforo runs three stands near the corner of Loveday and Lilian Ngoyi Streets, and despite needing to borrow money to make ends meet, he was upbeat about the nearing reopening.
“It gives us motivation. After [the] accident there [were] problems, but now, I feel things will get better again,” said Choforo, who thanked his landlord for her leniency.
Inquisitive but not caught up in the spectacle, resident Michael Nteko took proceedings with a pinch of salt, noticing the incomplete finishings.
“The road shouldn’t have been opened yet. They were rushing to meet the deadline. It doesn’t look finished. It is all just politicking,” said Nteko.
Johannesburg ‘a big job’
Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero confirmed R192 million had spent on the project, with phase two only due for completion in August 2026.
Morero said R26 billion went to the local community via 27 small businesses that provided employment for at least 68 general workers from adjacent wards.
The mayor acknowledged the challenges within the city and stressed the need for a collaborative effort.
“The job is big. All of us have to come together with all stakeholders to turn around this city, to clean this city and make it a better city for our people,” said Morero.
One of those stakeholders mentioned was the taxi associations, and Morero asked for their help in keeping public spaces clean and accessible.
“We must deal with illegal taxi ranks. We can’t have ranks being established willy nilly. It destroys the city,” said Morero.
“We can’t have car washes all over because of taxis. We need that environment to be controlled because the usage of water and foam contributes to our road infrastructure being affected,” said the mayor.
‘Our bread and butter’
The tunnel under Lilian Ngoyi Steert comes with gas detection and other monitoring capabilities, with the traffic lights feature pedestrian counters and lights with animated graphics.
Nickki Noor and his wife Zohra joked that there would be no repeat of the explosion as they had confidently seen the project unfold from the vantage point of their apartment.
The Noors live on the fifth floor of a nearby apartment and Niccki owns a cellphone and blanket shop between Rissik and Joubert Streets.
Zohra recalled the panic of the explosion, saying she wasn’t sure if she was going to see her husband again after witnessing the panic in the streets below her.
They, too, have had to juggle financial commitments to make ends meet, but now look to the future with optimism.
“This is our bread and butter. It is all we have, but we wouldn’t go anywhere else. It is really exciting, we are very relieved that the project is finished,” Nickki said.
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