Johannesburg says the rehabilitation of Lilian Ngoyi Street has passed 75% completion and remains on course for reopening by 31 October 2026.
Mayor Dada Morero, City Manager Floyd Brink and Johannesburg Roads Agency officials inspected the 1.8km corridor this week as work continued on the second phase of the project.
The street was damaged by an underground methane gas explosion in July 2023. At least one person was killed and more than 40 were injured. The blast also damaged road surfaces and underground municipal infrastructure.
Underground services rebuilt
Morero said the R192 million project involved more than repairing the road surface. Teams had to rebuild water and electricity networks and install additional services along the transport corridor.
Engineers excavated sections to a depth of about five metres to reconstruct the foundation and make space for the underground infrastructure. The city said the complexity of that work explained why the project had taken longer than an ordinary road upgrade.
JRA chief executive Zweli Nyathi said major construction was expected to be completed before the October reopening. The agency said it was working to avoid any further delays.
Businesses await reopening
The closure has affected movement through a busy part of the Johannesburg central business district and disrupted businesses along the route. City officials described the reopening as the return of a transport precinct rather than only a repaired street.
The current completion figure and target date were supplied by the City of Johannesburg following the site inspection. The city has not announced a change to the 31 October deadline.
