Upgrade work is being carried out for the Huguenot Tunnel in South Africa and is expected to cost over $242 million. Located to the East of Cape Town, the 3.9km link is the longest road tunnel in Africa.
The project is being managed by the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL). The tunnel features dual tubes, although only one has ever been used to carry traffic. The work will involve ensuring that the South Bore is improved so that it meets current safety requirements, with new traffic control, ventilation, safety equipment and fire suppression systems. The first phase of the project is to bring the unused North Bore into use and traffic will then switch to this tube while improvement works are carried out to the South Bore.
The tunnel carries the N1 route through the Du Toitskloof Mountains and runs between Paarl and Worcester. The tunnel was first proposed in the 1930s but was not built until the 1980s, although the North Bore was never completed. The tunnel replaced the longer Du Toitskloof Pass through the mountains, which opened in 1948.
The tunnel carries around 12,000 vehicles/day on average although this can peak at 22,500 vehicles during holiday periods. Over 110 million vehicles have driven through the tunnel since it opened in 1988. Once the upgrade is complete, the upgraded tunnel will feature two lanes of traffic in either direction, doubling capacity and improving traffic safety.
Meanwhile, SANRAL has announced delays for the Mtentu and Msikaba bridges projects in the Eastern Cape. The two bridges form part of the N2 Wild Coast road project for a 410km road from East London to the Mtamvuna river on the border of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. The Mtentu contract is being handled by the China Communications Construction Company and Mota-Engil Construction South Africa (Mecsa).
