Johannesburg city manager Floyd Brink said on Wednesday the gas which caused a blast on Lilian Ngoyi (formerly Bree) Street in Johannesburg’s CBD about two weeks ago was methane.
Methane is lighter than air and it travelled up along the services tunnel, from an unidentified source to the crest of a tunnel near Von Brandis Street.
Brink stated this in an address with pressmen along with mayor Kabelo Gwamanda and consultant/civil engineer Johan La Grange on Wednesday.
He explained that the estimated cost for repairs was R178million, however, reviews are possible when the detailed designs for the entire project is submitted. “This will include the redesign of that particular road. It’s an estimate, we are not at a detailed design stage.
“Once we clear the rubble, we’ll see what is damaged from the side of Joburg Water, whether it’s the water system, stormwater drains or even the sewer systems. We will have to do something with regard to some of the cables underneath for City Power and how to block them off,” he said.
Brink promised that the repairs would be completed in a short time, adding that the city had met the property owners in the area “and we have already agreed on an approach in which they will be part of our planning”.
“We can guarantee you it won’t be 18 months, our procurement processes in the city are a bit shorter because we do have pre-qualified bidders on our panels in the different entities.”
The city has so far spent around R4Million on professional experts’ services, cordoning off the site and the provision of water tankers and temporary ablution facilities.
