Big Reveal of R82 Million Bree Street in Johannesburg Sparks Debate Online, Shares Video

• Following a catastrophic gas explosion in July 2023, Johannesburg's Bree Street has been reopened following an extensive R82 million reconstruction project
• The reconstruction project took 26 months to complete, twice as long as initially anticipated, due to contractual conflicts and delays
• The newly restored street has received mixed reactions online, with some praising the city's efforts and others raising concerns about the project's cost, durability, and design

Johannesburg’s Bree Street has officially reopened after undergoing a massive R82 million restoration project, more than a year after the devastating gas explosion that tore through the busy road in July 2023.

The explosion caused widespread panic, leaving a stretch of the city centre in chaos. Several vehicles were damaged, parts of the road collapsed, and businesses in the surrounding area were forced to shut down temporarily. The incident also resulted in injuries, highlighting the urgent need for repairs and improved safety measures.

Now, after years of reconstruction, Bree Street has been resurfaced with fresh tar and reopened to traffic. According to the IOL, due in part to contractual conflicts, the R192 million rehabilitation project, which was originally anticipated to take just over a year, took 26 months, or twice as long as anticipated.

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Significant delays arose from the 2024 termination of the original contractor's deal due to a conflict with them. Lillian Ngoyi Street's businesses and people have been dealing with daily disruption and uncertainty for more than two years.

TikTok user @alpha.rm showcased how the place looked after construction by uploading a video on 1 September 2025 with the caption:

"The City of Joburg has completed phase one of repairs to Lilian Ngoyi Street (formerly Bree Street) in the CBD. The road has been surfaced with paving bricks instead of the traditional tar. The route was destroyed by an underground gas explosion two years ago."

The post received mixed reactions online, with some residents praising the city for restoring the street, while others raised concerns about the high cost of the project. Questions remain about accountability for the explosion itself and whether preventative measures are truly in place.

Nevertheless, the unveiling of the upgraded Bree Street marked a major milestone in Johannesburg’s recovery from the 2023 disaster, restoring life to one of the city’s most important urban arteries.

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People in South Africa took to the comments section to share their thoughts, saying:

SiiiX Pictures said:

"I can see the vision, it's for the people now and not cars only, commercial spaces all around, this will be a fun street to be in."

Geeyoulethu00 added:

"That road is used by 1000 taxis and 500 buses per hour. That pavement won't even last three months."

Hypersommia wrote:

"This would be such a cute street for restaurants and coffee shops."

Taydosh suggested:

"Hear me out, remove the bus stops, etc, make it a green area, no cars, plant trees, place benches and dustbins and get security… like in BankCity… it looks so good without traffic."

TiwoSavage commented:

"Paving for the main road won't last."

Watch the video below:

Men and women share shocking gas explosion tales

• Briefly News previously reported that a woman was left traumatised by her gas heater after the gas cylinder caught alight.
• A young family was lucky to be alive after their gas stove caught alight in their kitchen.
• Stoan Seate has had a dramatic two weeks and decided to give his supporters a recovery update since his traumatic accident.

Source: Briefly News