86% of work done to repair Lilian Ngoyi Street: CoJ
A portion of the corridor has been closed off to traffic for two years, due to an underground gas explosion that damaged the street.
An image of the site of the Lilian Ngoyi Street blast, where an underground gas explosion ripped open an extensive strip of roadway in July 2023, was posted by Johannesburg Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda on 11 January 2024. Picture: X/KabeloGwamanda
JOHANNESBURG - The City of Johannesburg said repairs to the damaged Lilian Ngoyi Street in the CBD are close to completion, with 86% of the work done.
A portion of the corridor has been closed off to traffic for two years, due to an underground gas explosion that damaged the street.
Delays to fixing the road were caused by disputes with the previous contractor, who was replaced with a new company late last year.
ALSO READ: Morero says hefty funds to repair Lilian Ngoyi Street will also be used to upgrade corridor
Johannesburg Roads Agency CEO Zweli Nyathi said repairs would be completed by the end of this month.
“Despite adverse weather conditions earlier in the year, the contractor at the Lilian Ngoyi site has demonstrated exceptional performance, maintaining project timelines through a revised and accelerated exception programme.
The City of Johannesburg said only R64 million has been used so far to repair the street, and almost R200 million has been allocated to fix it.
The remaining money will be used for phase two of the project. The second phase will focus on enhancing the aesthetic appeal of Lilian Ngoyi Street once the repairs are finalised.
Nyathi said his teams have been hard at work to ensure the road is reopened to traffic at the end of this month.
“The team has ensured minimal disruption to pedestrian flow and surrounding commercial activity. This is a testament to strong project coordination and adaptive planning in partnership with JRA.”