By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) has announced the cancellation the tender for the repair of Lillian Ngoyi Street, previously known as Bree Street, in the Johannesburg Central Business District.
Lilian Ngoyi Street has been closed since 19 July 2023, when a methane gas explosion tore up the road during rush hour traffic, killing one person and injuring 48 others.
The city had planned to fund the construction by having a provincial state of disaster declared, but it was unable to access disaster funding after its request was rejected.
The city announced a budget of R196-million for the refurbishment of Lilian Ngoyi Street.
The construction project is overseen by the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) and was expected to be completed in December 2024 — within the 18-month deadline set by the city in October 2023.
The repair project has experienced delays, with Durapi Consulting awarded the tender, and Step Up Engineering as the contractor.
The rehabilitation of the road, divided into two phases, started in January 2024, with the first phase anticipated to conclude by December 2024.
JRA, a City of Joburg entity, has since issued a formal notice of intent to terminate the contract of the contractor.
“A new contractor will be appointed to start early September, the duration of stage one will be 9-months and will be scheduled for completion in May 2025, phase two duration will be 12-month starting May 2025 and will be completed in May 2026 “said JRA Acting CEO Lufuno Mashau.
Mashau said the contract had been terminated “due to poor performance and failure to meet contractual deliverables”.
Meanwhile Mayor Dada Morero has announced that he plans to reconsider transforming the Lillian Ngoyi Street into a park.
Morero, outlining his city plans, said he wants to shift the road reconstruction project to creating a recreational facility for local residents.
He said that instead of continuing with the road reconstruction, they should focus on creating safer spaces for residents.
“You would know that the bulk of that area where the explosion happened is actually residential. But, I think we will come back with a proper announcement soon, whether we continue to rebuild the roads or perhaps we should look at building a park so that children have activities there,” he added.
Morero said they will test the idea to determine if they can offer a better solution for Joburg residents than simply rebuilding the road.