THE BREE Street business owners in Joburg have questioned the length of the construction work to repair the street.
"I'm not an engineer, but 12 months to fix Bree Street is ridiculous," said a business owner.
On Thursday, 11 January, the City of Joburg manager Floyd Brink said construction work into Bree Street commenced as of Thursday, 11 January, with a budget of R196 million.
The construction, according to Brink, is expected to be completed by 15 December 2024.
He said as he briefed the media alongside Joburg Mayor Kabelo Gwamande and MMC for Roads Kenny Kunene on the work on Lilian Ngoyi Street.
However, business owner Paulinus Ogbodo (43) is not convinced by the city's promises.
"They can't say they have started only for them not to be here. That means they're lying to us. While I'm aware of the extent of the damage caused by the explosion, I did not think that they'd take so long to fix the street.
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"This thing keeps dragging, and from the news, we are told that underground work needs to happen before the surface work begins, but we are not seeing this. I'm not an engineer and can't tell you how long it must take to be fixed, but if you ask me, that time is too long, especially if the money is there," Ogbodo said.
Almost six months ago, on 19 July 2023, an underground explosion struck Lilian Ngoyi Street, opening the busy street and leaving many cars damaged.
One person died from the explosion, while more than 40 people were injured. At the same time, the City was plunged into darkness, and for several days, water systems were disrupted.
To this day, many businesses have been left struggling, with many complaining about losing customers.
One business owner said customers no longer come to them because the distance to go around the fencing is time-consuming. As a result, people lose interest.
Ogbodo said some business owners have since had to close down because they have not been making any money.
While site work is expected to commence, the Head of the Department of Infrastructure Development at the Johannesburg Road Agency, Kwazelela Mcetywa, said businesses and residents living in the area have nothing to worry about as the area is safe and secure.
"The site work is fully secured and has been isolated from any pedestrian movement, so the work area is completely isolated from the surrounding area; therefore, businesses will be able to operate.
"There is constant engagement with businesses and residents to give them updates on the work being done but also listen to their concerns. The buildings' stability is safe and won't be compromised during the reconstruction process," Mcetywa said.
