WATCH | Morero vows to speed up repairs to Lilian Ngoyi Street

Joburg mayor Dada Morero has pledged to speed up repairs to Lilian Ngoyi (formerly Bree) Street in the inner city, which was seriously damaged by a gas explosion last July.

The street has been closed since the incident, causing some businesses to shut down.

The city's contract with the initial contractor, Step Up Engineering, was terminated on August 14, leading the Johannesburg Road Agency (JRA) to appoint a new company.

“The city had done what needed to be done, but those who were appointed to do the job failed, which forced the City of Johannesburg to undergo a new process to appoint a new company. Had that company not failed the residents of Joburg, I don't think we would be where we are now,” Morero said in an interview with Newzroom Afrika.

The explosion caused the road to cave in, leaving a deep hole in the street. Morero said the city will provide a new and improved structure for the road, with fewer lanes.

“We are reducing the number of lanes and extending the pavements so that we can ensure that businesses have a better visible space. Residents will also have much bigger areas to move around more freely. We are trying to do a lot of things on that street to ensure that we deliver a product that will create usable spaces for the people in the area.”

The original completion date was December 2024 with the initial contractor. The second phase of construction was expected to be completed by June 30 2026. However, Morero has vowed to push for a faster completion date.

“We will do our best to push and ensure that the new company in place, or the contract in place, will move with much-needed speed so we can conclude the project by June 2025. We'll push it to next year and not stretch it to 2026. It will require us to do certain things with the company that is in place so that by June or August 2025, we are able to conclude the project.

“We have made it clear that we need to ensure the speed at which they deliver so we can conclude this project as quickly as possible.”

Morero is confident the new contractor will deliver and pleaded with community members to be patient.

“We are aware that it has a negative effect on the economy — it's affecting our economy quite seriously. It's impacting the movement of people and goods. We want to appeal in particular to the residents in the inner city and those who use the transport route to exercise patience and give us an opportunity to conclude.

“We know it's an inconvenience and has taken too long. We want to complete the project as soon as possible, so we are appealing to the communities to give us more time, and we will deliver as soon as possible.”

TimesLIVE