Huguenot Tunnel
Encyclopedia
The Huguenot Tunnel is a toll tunnel
near Cape Town
, South Africa
. It extends the N1 national road
through the Du Toitskloof mountains
that separate Paarl
from Worcester, providing a route that is safer, faster (between 15 and 26 minute
s) and shorter (by 11 km) than the old Du Toitskloof Pass
travelling over the mountain.
Geological survey
s and design
started in 1973, and excavation
followed in 1984, tunneling from both ends using drilling
and blasting. The two drilling heads met with an error of only 3 mm over its entire 3.9 km length. The tunnel was finally opened on 18 March 1988.
Currently the tunnel carries one lane of traffic in each direction. Plans are underway to open a second unfinished tunnel, the "northern bore", to carry eastbound traffic. This will allow for two lanes of traffic in each direction, with each tunnel carrying traffic in one direction only.
In 2002, traffic peaks occurred during Easter
(a record on 26 April of 18 200 vehicles) and the December school
holiday
s (12 000 vehicles per day).
The tunnel is maintained by Tolcon, a subsidiary of Murray & Roberts
construction company.
The toll as proclaimed in March 2010 was (in South African Rand
):
The tunnel has 13 video camera
s that feed into an automatic incident detection system, which can sound alarm devices for any of the following conditions:
Toll tunnel
A toll tunnel is a special road tunnel whose construction and/or maintenance costs are in part recouped through a toll charged for passing through it. In some instances, tolls have been removed after retirement of the toll revenue bonds issued to raise funds for construction and/or operation of the...
near Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. It extends the N1 national road
N1 (South Africa)
The N1 is a South African National Route, running from Cape Town to Beit Bridge on the border with Zimbabwe. It is also the main road link between Johannesburg and Cape Town, and forms the first section of the famed Cape to Cairo Road....
through the Du Toitskloof mountains
Du Toits Peak
Du Toits Peak is the highest seaward facing peak in the Cape Fold Belt ranges, i.e. the highest peak in the Western Cape within direct sight of the ocean. Located between Paarl and Worcester in the south-west of South Africa, 70 km to the north-east of the provincial capital of Cape Town...
that separate Paarl
Paarl
Paarl is a town with 191,013 inhabitants in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Its the third oldest European settlement in the Republic of South Africa and the largest town in the Cape Winelands. Due to the growth of the Mbekweni township, it is now a de facto urban unit with Wellington...
from Worcester, providing a route that is safer, faster (between 15 and 26 minute
Minute
A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units...
s) and shorter (by 11 km) than the old Du Toitskloof Pass
Du Toitskloof Pass
Du Toitskloof Pass is situated in the Western Cape province of South Africa, on the Regional road R101 between Paarl and Worcester. The pass was named after Francois Du Toit, a 17th century Huguenot pioneer who settled in the foothills...
travelling over the mountain.
Geological survey
Geological survey
The term geological survey can be used to describe both the conduct of a survey for geological purposes and an institution holding geological information....
s and design
Design
Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
started in 1973, and excavation
Earthworks (engineering)
Earthworks are engineering works created through the moving or processing of quantities of soil or unformed rock.- Civil engineering use :Typical earthworks include roads, railway beds, causeways, dams, levees, canals, and berms...
followed in 1984, tunneling from both ends using drilling
Drilling
Drilling is a cutting process that uses a drill bit to cut or enlarge a hole in solid materials. The drill bit is a multipoint, end cutting tool...
and blasting. The two drilling heads met with an error of only 3 mm over its entire 3.9 km length. The tunnel was finally opened on 18 March 1988.
Currently the tunnel carries one lane of traffic in each direction. Plans are underway to open a second unfinished tunnel, the "northern bore", to carry eastbound traffic. This will allow for two lanes of traffic in each direction, with each tunnel carrying traffic in one direction only.
In 2002, traffic peaks occurred during Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
(a record on 26 April of 18 200 vehicles) and the December school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
holiday
Holiday
A Holiday is a day designated as having special significance for which individuals, a government, or a religious group have deemed that observance is warranted. It is generally an official or unofficial observance of religious, national, or cultural significance, often accompanied by celebrations...
s (12 000 vehicles per day).
The tunnel is maintained by Tolcon, a subsidiary of Murray & Roberts
Murray & Roberts
Murray & Roberts Holdings, Ltd. is a South African based construction contractor, located in Johannesburg, South Africa and is listed on the JSE Securities Exchange...
construction company.
The toll as proclaimed in March 2010 was (in South African Rand
South African rand
The rand is the currency of South Africa. It takes its name from the Witwatersrand , the ridge upon which Johannesburg is built and where most of South Africa's gold deposits were found. The rand has the symbol "R" and is subdivided into 100 cents, symbol "c"...
):
- Light Vehicles: R 25.00
- 2-axle heavy vehicles: R 66.00
- 3 and 4-axle heavy vehicles: R 104.00
- 5 and more-axle heavy vehicles: R 168.00
The tunnel has 13 video camera
Video camera
A video camera is a camera used for electronic motion picture acquisition, initially developed by the television industry but now common in other applications as well. The earliest video cameras were those of John Logie Baird, based on the electromechanical Nipkow disk and used by the BBC in...
s that feed into an automatic incident detection system, which can sound alarm devices for any of the following conditions:
- Stopped vehicles
- Fast and slow-moving traffic
- Traffic queues
- Wrong-way driving