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 minutes) and shorter (by 11 km) than the old Du Toitskloof Pass travelling over the mountain.
An idea for a tunnel through the Du Toitskloof Mountains was conceived in the 1930s but was put on hold due to the outbreak of World War II. The idea developed into a pass over the mountains, the Du Toitskloof pass, using the labour of Italian prisoners of war between 1942 and 1945 and continued with ordinary labour until its completion in 1948. Geological surveys and design started in 1973, and excavation followed in 1984, tunneling from both ends using drilling and blasting.
There were two phases to the tunneling, the first a pilot tunnel to examine the routes geographical obstacles. The second phase bored a 5 m tunnel through granite rock as well as the construction of portals, drainage and ventilation tunnels. 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.
An idea for a tunnel through the Du Toitskloof Mountains was conceived in the 1930s but was put on hold due to the outbreak of World War II. The idea developed into a pass over the mountains, the Du Toitskloof pass, using the labour of Italian prisoners of war between 1942 and 1945 and continued with ordinary labour until its completion in 1948. Geological surveys and design started in 1973, and excavation followed in 1984, tunneling from both ends using drilling and blasting.
There were two phases to the tunneling, the first a pilot tunnel to examine the routes geographical obstacles. The second phase bored a 5 m tunnel through granite rock as well as the construction of portals, drainage and ventilation tunnels. 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.
