Africa’s longest road tunnel, the Huguenot Tunnel on the N1 national road in the Western Cape, South Africa, will undergo a R4.5-billion construction upgrade project to receive a new 3.9-km section, South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) noted last month.

This upgrade will reinforce the road and tunnel, facilitate the transportation of goods from ports and accommodate the 13 000 daily users of the tunnel, as well as up to 25 000 peak- period road users.

Having conducted a site visit, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy said that the project will have noteworthy safety benefits for road users as well as economic benefits for the Western Cape.

She added that this region is also agriculturally significant and connects the Cape Town and Saldanha ports to the hinterland, making it important for businesses that operate within and between those regions.

“Once the upgrade of the tunnel has been completed in three to four years from now, we will have two lanes carrying traffic in each direction, which will significantly reduce congestion. Most importantly, that will also allow for more efficient movement of goods and people,” Creecy said at the time.

Sanral CEO Reginald Demana said that significant electricity and ventilation upgrades have already been conducted at the southbound end of the Huguenot Tunnel, but commented that more significant upgrades were required, and could only be completed by moving traffic to the new section of the tunnel, which will be called the northbound tunnel.

Job Creation

The upgrade project will also provide several contracting and employment opportunities, in addition to adhering to the important responsibility of improving mobility for road users and reducing congestion.

“This investment drive includes major road infrastructure, which function as arteries of our country’s economy by carrying goods and people – and is in line with one of the seventh administration’s top priorities to drive inclusive growth, create jobs and reduce poverty,” Creecy added.

“The tunnel will be upgraded in accordance with international safety standards as well as meeting the mobility demands of the significantly increased traffic volumes that come with urban development,” noted Demana.

Tenders for the construction of the new section of the Huguenot Tunnel will be sent out in the coming days, and construction of the project will begin in the first half of 2025, he concluded.