The City of Joburg (CoJ) has officially commenced with the rehabilitation of Lillian Ngoyi Street, formerly known as Bree Street, following a methane gas explosion in July 2023 that claimed at least one life and rendered the road completely useless for the majority of the last six months.
Following the initial inspections and a planning and design phase that concluded in November, the metro now confirmed that it has allocated R196 million for professional fees and construction costs covering roadworks; stormwater and services infrastructure; and electrical, mechanical, and structural works to the damaged road.
“The construction period spans from Thursday, 11 January 2024, to Sunday, 15 December 2024, with stringent oversight by the JRA [Johannesburg Roads Agency] to ensure adherence to timelines,” said CoJ executive mayor Kabelo Gwamanda.
Simultaneously, the City has submitted a disaster declaration application to the Gauteng provincial government seeking funding for the rehabilitation work.
“Despite the ongoing finalisation process with the province, recognising the urgency, the City has reallocated its budget to expedite rehabilitation efforts,” said Gwamanda.
Preventing future incidents
To avoid the future reoccurrence of such an incident, as well as to reduce the severity thereof if it does happen, the CoJ said it will upgrade its tunnel design based on international codes, as well as introduce continuous gas detection alarms and gas detector monitors for all staff working below ground on a regular basis.
The new designs will be based on NFPA Standards 68, 69, 502, and 921, which encompasses fire and explosion prevention with accidental combustible gas release in tunnels or cavities.
Under these regulations, they will be reinforced with concrete side walls and roofs designed for over-pressure and release. As such, the tunnel roof and sidewalls will be capable of withstanding and depressurizing a “9.5% methane explosion,” said the city manager in August.
The blueprints of these upgrades are expected to be finalised in June 2024, with the actual work scheduled to commence in the 2024–2025 financial year.
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