Joburg mayor Dada Morero says the long-awaited repairs to Lilian Ngoyi Street, previously known as Bree Street, in Johannesburg are on track to be completed by August 2025, with a budget of R194m allocated for the project.
Morero reaffirmed the city's commitment to the completion timeline, emphasising that restoring the explosion site remains the top priority.
“By August 2025, motorists will be able to use the road safely. We remain committed to ensuring this project is a success,” he said.
Lillian Ngoyi Street has been closed for almost two years after a gas explosion on that part of the road in July 2023.
The project is back on track and making progress after a mutual separation agreement and settlement with the first contractor, Step-Up Engineering.
Morero said the city will further undertake a second phase to extend the pavement which will be completed a year later. The road will however be in use by motorists during the second phase of the pavement extension project.
“The second phase, which includes the complete street project to extend pavements and enhance the aesthetics of Lilian Ngoyi Street, will be completed by August 2026. By then, we will deliver the final product, but for now, our primary focus is on restoring the explosion site,” he said.
The project, which began in November 2024, has already seen progress, with 15% of the necessary 20% milestone already completed, said Morero.
Transport MMC Kenny Kunene said legal disputes between JRA and Step-Up Engineering had stalled progress.
By the grace of God, JRA and Step-Up Engineering were able to reach an agreement after my intervention. “This intervention saved legal costs and, more importantly, a lot of money, as Step-Up had initially demanded compensation for lost profits
— Transport MMC Kenny Kunene
“By the grace of God, JRA and Step-Up Engineering were able to reach an agreement after my intervention. “This intervention saved legal costs and, more importantly, a lot of money, as Step-Up had initially demanded compensation for lost profits,” said Kunene.
He said they remain committed to completing the project.
According to Kunene, about 80 jobs will be created by the project.
“Job creation is always an important point to highlight. Several SMMEs will also be contracted to participate in the project. About R26m will be allocated for SMME development. We are pleased with the progress so far,” Kunene said.
Morero confirmed that the total budget for the project stands at R194 million.
“The initial allocation for the 2024-2025 budget was R94m out of the total R194m. That is what has been allocated and what we are now spending. However, the full project funding will be completed when we pass the city’s budget in May, which will include the remaining R100m,” he said.
Zwelithini Nyathi, CEO of the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA), said getting funding was a problem.
“As you know, that was a disaster area, and we didn’t get any disaster funding. The city had to cough up and make sure that they prioritised the citizens from other locations,” said Nyathi.
With construction well under way, Nyathi urged the public to refrain from walking through the site between 7am and 5pm due to safety hazards.
“People tend to jaywalk, which is not safe. There are cranes and other hazards, so we plead with the community to co-operate. One of the most critical issues that I would probably like to highlight that we're experiencing on-site is vandalism and other issues around the site. So we're just pleading with the community to co-operate and work with us because this is their project, and that's very, very critical,” he said.
SowetanLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.