Johannesburg to spend R196 million to fix road after explosion

Johannesburg, Africa’s richest city, will spend R196 million rehabilitating a key road in its old central business district after a methane gas explosion in July. 

The city expects that repairs to Lillian Ngoyi Street, formerly known as Bree Street, will conclude by the end of the year, it said in a statement Thursday. 

The explosion killed at least one person, injured about 48 others and caused extensive damage on adjacent streets.

The funds will cover professional fees, roadworks, stormwater and services infrastructure, electrical, mechanical, and structural works, it said. 

The city is also assessing other service tunnels throughout the municipality to prevent future incidents and expects to finalize designs for their upgrades in June before starting work in the next financial year, it said.