The Hex River Tunnel in South Africa was built in 1876 and is still standing today, despite being abandoned more than 30 years ago – it was constructed to connect Cape Town and Kimerbley
Nestled within South Africa’s mountains lies a 149-year-old tunnel, a historic gem waiting to be unearthed.
Constructed in 1876, the Hex River Tunnel is thought to be the oldest railway tunnel ever built in South Africa. The journey to it requires a 4×4 vehicle and involves traversing rugged dirt roads, narrow trails and obsolete railway tracks.
The tunnel was created to link Cape Town, the country’s capital, with Kimberley following the discovery of diamonds in the nation’s northern region. Situated 35 kilometres between De Doorns and the Tunnel Station, the tunnel was crafted by Brounger and Pauling.
It was an impressive engineering feat for its era, designed to traverse the challenging landscape of the Hex River Mountains. The tunnel was manually constructed using shovels and pickaxes to navigate a buttress that was too steep and narrow for the railway line to circumvent.
After overcoming various hurdles such as rocky paths and muddy sections, the tunnel appears, framed by its stone masonry portals. The tunnel’s portals are composed of dressed stone masonry, while the interior remains unlined.
In 1929, the track was temporarily diverted, and a second concrete-lined tunnel was built to accommodate larger locomotives, reports the Express. This newer tunnel served the railway line until its closure in 1989.
Today, the tunnel stands as a silent testament to a bygone era amidst the rugged landscape.