SANRAL confirms Huguenot Tunnel's structural integrity remains sound following bus fire

The South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) has confirmed that the structural integrity of the Huguenot Tunnel remains sound following a bus fire inside the tunnel last Friday night, although critical repairs are required before it can safely reopen to traffic.

Engineering assessments conducted over the weekend after the bus caught alight indicated that the tunnel's ceiling and roadway did not suffer major damage.

However, SANRAL noted that intense heat exposure damaged several wall panels, cabling systems, and lighting infrastructure beyond repair, and these must be replaced.

READ: Huguenot Tunnel on the N1 near Cape Town remains closed

Motorists have been provided with alternative routes while the repairs are underway.

Professor Richard Walls, Head of the Fire Engineering Research Unit at Stellenbosch University, pointed out that the current incident highlights ongoing safety and capacity upgrades.

"One of the biggest things is already in motion, that they're upgrading the Huguenot Tunnel to have a second tunnel opened, so also, if there's an incident on one side, they'll be able to close one tunnel and keep the second one operational. In addition to that, I understand that they'll be installing fire suppression systems," Walls said.