16 January 2025
A smoke test will take place in the tunnel on Tuesday 21 January from 7pm.
The tunnel will be fully closed overnight from 7pm, to motorists and pedestrians. It will
reopen by 6am the following morning, Wednesday 22 January.
Islanders should not be alarmed if they see smoke coming out of the tunnel during this time.
The smoke attenuation test simulates the heat and smoke from a fire, helping to
understand how quickly the tunnel fills with smoke and how long it would take to
evacuate. This will assist the emergency plans and identify if any additional safety
equipment such as ventilation equipment is required.
Tunnel lighting test
On Thursday 23 January, an emergency lighting test will take place in the tunnel between
9:30am and 11:00am. The mains power to the lighting will be cut, to test the performance
of the back-up batteries. The road will remain fully open during this time.
Tunnel survey works
Between 27 January and 7 February, the tunnel will be closed overnight between 7pm and
6am, Monday to Thursday, while Infrastructure and Environment, I&E, remove steel panelling within the tunnel. This will
allow structural engineers to conduct a routine survey of the concrete lining of the tunnel.
The tunnel will be open as normal on Friday, Saturday and Sundays, and during the day
Monday to Thursday.
The results from the test, lighting test, and structural survey will help I&E fully understand
the requirements of future improvements.
The structural survey was last undertaken in 2015. These are routine surveys required to
comply with the requirements of Road Tunnel Maintenance best practice.
The work is being carried out overnight to minimise disruption on the roads. The
Infrastructure and Environment department thanks Islanders for their patience, while this
work takes place to ensure the tunnel infrastructure is maintained and continues to be fit
for purpose.
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