Johannesburg – Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero has defended the R192 million cost of rehabilitating Lilian Ngoyi Street, saying much of the work has taken place beneath the road and involved rebuilding underground infrastructure.
Morero was speaking to the media on Wednesday during a walkabout at the construction site with Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) officials and other City representatives.
The project, triggered by a methane gas explosion on July 19, 2023, was initially expected to be completed last month. The City has now pushed the completion date to October 31.
The explosion killed one person and injured several others.
The story of Lilian Ngoyi Street goes far beyond rebuilding a road. Following the devastating 2023 explosion, we had to completely redesign and reconstruct the underground infrastructure beneath the street. The extensive tunnel rehabilitation and replacement of critical services… pic.twitter.com/Grkp26gcyf
— Executive Mayor: @CityofJoburgZA (@DadaMorero) September 9, 2026
“We are here on Lilian Ngoyi Road to assess progress. Due to commitment, of course, there were two months delay. We should now be completing the project on the 31st of October,” Morero said.
He said the City had received an undertaking from the contractor that the road would be handed over by the revised deadline.
“There’s a lot of infrastructure that also went under, with new tunnels that have been built, with proper and new upgraded technology,” Morero said.
He said Johannesburg Water and City Power had also been involved in the underground infrastructure work.
Morero said the project should not be judged by the appearance of the road surface alone, as significant work had been carried out underground.
Lilian Ngoyi Road is a major infrastructure project in Johannesburg. I revisited the site to check progress after a two-month delay, meeting with JRA officials, the contractor, Joburg Water, and City Power to ensure completion by 31 October.
I stresses that taxis cannot park… pic.twitter.com/8jSsG9k81K
— Executive Mayor: @CityofJoburgZA (@DadaMorero) September 9, 2026
According to IOL, he said the underground work included the reconstruction of tunnels and the installation of new water and electricity infrastructure.
“That is why you see the cost goes to about R192 million for the entire project, but part of that amount goes into the tunnels and the infrastructure that were to be built,” he said.
Morero said additional infrastructure was discovered during construction and had to be addressed, contributing to the overall cost.
He also welcomed an independent assessment of the project.
“We welcome any independent engineers to come in and do an assessment against the cost of what we’ve deployed and we’re definitely sure that they’ll arrive at the same conclusion in terms of the cost that we deployed,” he said.
JRA CEO Zweli Nyathi said most of the major roadwork had been completed, with contractors now focusing on finishing work.
“The road is compacted, it’s just the side furniture and other things like kerbs and piping and all sorts of things, so it’s the cosmetics basically,” Nyathi said.
He said paving and other finishing work remained, but contractors had assured the City that the October 31 deadline could be met.
This is more than a road upgrade. Beneath the surface, we’ve invested in modern underground infrastructure, including new utility tunnels and upgraded services that will strengthen the resilience of this corridor for years to come.
When complete, residents will benefit from a… pic.twitter.com/ZjPozaIb6Q
— Executive Mayor: @CityofJoburgZA (@DadaMorero) September 9, 2026
“With the revised deadline, remember we lost some time, and with the revised deadline I’m very much sure that we’ll be able to complete it,” he said.
Nyathi said officials were conducting regular site inspections to verify the remaining work.
He said the rebuilt underground tunnels would provide safer access to the infrastructure and reduce the risks associated with the old system.
“The old tunnels were really unsafe as well,” Nyathi said.
According to IOL, Nyathi said engineers encountered concrete structures and other conditions underground that required changes to the original plans.
“There’s a lot of work that went into this particular road. It’s not an easy one,” he said.
He said the underground services were a critical part of the project because they support residents and businesses in the area.
📹WATCH: JRA CEO Zweli Nyathi commits to working closely with the contractor to ensure the Lilian Ngoyi Street project is delivered within the revised completion deadline.
Keeping this project on track remains a priority as we continue monitoring progress and working to deliver… pic.twitter.com/nG35If8Sky
— Executive Mayor: @CityofJoburgZA (@DadaMorero) September 9, 2026
Nyathi also linked the condition of the old underground tunnels to the July 2023 explosion, saying the infrastructure dating back to the 1950s could no longer safely accommodate water, electricity cabling and other activities.
He said the rebuilt infrastructure was being designed to last for decades and accommodate future technological changes.
Nyathi said unforeseen conditions underground had also resulted in variations to the original project scope.
Engineers had to excavate deeper, install new cables and introduce new rock surfaces after discovering that some existing infrastructure could not be safely accessed.
Morero also warned taxi operators against parking on Lilian Ngoyi Street once the road is reopened.
“Taxis are not allowed to be parking in this road. I need to emphasise that,” he said.
He said he would ask the city manager to write to taxi associations to make it clear that taxis would not be allowed to park on the road.
Morero said he was satisfied with the progress and expected the City to return to the site on October 31 to showcase the completed project.
He also said a meeting with property owners had been scheduled for September 17 to discuss improving the appearance of buildings along the street.
The City intends to reopen the rehabilitated road by the revised October 31 deadline.
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Compiled by Glaan Sibuyi
