HELLO WESTERN CAPE

Economic impact of Huguenot Tunnel updgrades

The Western Cape is home to one of the most strategic assets of the national road network, the Huguenot Tunnel. Hello Western Cape sat down with Western Region Manager Randall Cable to talk about this tunnel’s contribution to the regional economy and to investigate the options for its long-awaited upgrade.

In October last year, SANRAL hosted tunnel experts from around the world for a conference on Road Tunnel Operations in Low and Medium Income Countries. From this engagement, two outcomes were clear. SANRAL has to:

1. Ensure that sufficient systems are in place to communicate with road users to direct them to safety in case of an emergency in the tunnel
2. Design and implement the commissioning of the North Bore to ensure that the tunnel meets international standards in terms of safety and operations

“The one thing that most people focus on is the closure of the tunnel – and the duration thereof – while upgrades are under way. We certainly are cognisant of road users’ concerns about their travel patterns, how it affects the tourism sector and the economic impact of closing the tunnel. However, the closure period can only be determined once the final design proposal for the South Bore has been completed,” said Cable.

“That being said, we will consider various innovative measures to reduce the closure period; whether it be introducing more than one work team, night-time work to ensure the tunnel can be operational during the day or permitting only light motor vehicles through the tunnel and diverting all heavy vehicles to alternative routes.

“Having considered the options, and the most feasible approach, once the South Bore is completed, the North Bore can be upgraded. It will be aligned to EU standards, operational and safety inefficiencies will be eliminated in both tunnels and there will be no need to ever divert traffic over the mountain pass if one of the bores is closed due to an incident. We’ll have improved safety and minimal loss of revenue,” he said.

It is envisaged that the first phase of closure will occur in May/June 2019, so to enable work to start after the design is completed and the civil works contract is awarded.

Refurbishment of the South Bore could be completed by January 2020, while construction on the North Bore is targeted towards January 2021 and finally twinbore operation could be effective by December 2025.

Randall Cable, SANRAL'S Western Region Manager

feasible approach, once the South Bore is completed, the North Bore can be upgraded.

The cost of the full upgrade comes to R2.5bn, which includes the upgrade of the North Bore and the refurbishment of the South Bore, effectively

BACKGROUND

The south bore was completed in 1986 and was opened to traffic in March 1988
Major transportation link between the Western Cape and the interior of South Africa
The 3 917m-long tunnel reduces the distance between Paarl and Worcester by 11km
Eliminates a climb of some 500m over the Du Toits Kloof Pass, which by its nature imposes severe constraints and safety concerns for the road user
Significant contribution to the national economy (Forex saving in the order of R1.2bn) in terms of savings in travel time (24 million hours) and vehicle operating costs (fuel saved = 4.5 million barrels of crude oil), as well as a reduction in collisions
Served more than 95 million vehicles over the past 30 years

ALTERNATIVE ROUTES

Paarl-Huguenot Tunnel-Worcester (+/-51 km)
Paarl-DuToit’s Kloof Pass-Worcester (+/-62 km)
Paarl-Gouda-Tulbagh-Worcester (+/-121 km)
Depending on origin and destination, the N2 is also an option

improving the capacity and the safety of the South Bore. SANRAL remains committed to engaging with all relevant stakeholders, with the aim of promoting the concept of upgrading the North bore as a medium- to long-term development strategy, which ultimately puts one of our most strategic assets on par with some of the leading tunnels in the world.

N2 construction boosts Overberg SMMEs

SANRAL is proud of the economic development opportunities associated with the upgrade of a 48km section of the N2 highway between Caledon and Riviersonderend.

The road serves as a vital link between the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, with approximately 3 500 cars and 500 trucks using this route every day to travel between Cape Town and the many cities along the southern and eastern coastlines.

In line with SANRAL’s Transformation Policy and it’s commitment to the economic development of the area, this project has extended developmental opportunities to many local SMMEs.

Randall Cable, SANRAL’s Western Region Manager, is particularly enthused by the opportunities created for local contractors on this project.

“Our focus on inclusive development emphasises the critical role that road construction projects can play in assisting the government to grow a vibrant construction industry in our country. This is just

one of a number of projects in the region and along the N2 that we have prioritised to serve a larger socio-economic purpose – developing black-owned emerging contractors and creating construction related employment opportunities for members of marginalised communities,” he said.

As many as 11 SMMEs are being trained by the main contractor, Group Five, which started work on the 36-month construction project in September 2017.

As part of their training, the SMMEs have been tasked with removing and erecting fencing and guardrails; providing security and traffic-control services; undertaking clearing and grubbing operations; as well as constructing the side-drains.

The project has also created jobs for more than 100 people, the vast majority of whom are from local communities.

According to Duncan Murphy, a technical director with JG Afrika, the consulting engineers on the project, the lion’s share of the work entails widening of the the road, which was built between 1978 and 1983, as well as upgrading

its intersections to better accommodate the increase in traffic over the years and improve safety for all road users.

“The road was mainly a single carriageway with surfaced lanes and shoulders. Once we are done, it will have a minimum surface-width of 13.4m – including two, 3.7m-wide lanes and 3m-wide shoulders in some places,” said Murphy.