UPDATE: West tunnel much brighter after upgrades
VIDEO: The replacement of the lights in the tunnel was part of a bigger project.
After years of driving in darkness, lights in the Daspoort tunnel have been finally restored.
DA ward councillor Frik van Wyk told Rekord that the lights were replaced on Sunday when the tunnel was closed for a few hours.
Tunnel before the lights were fixed:
The replacement of the lights in the tunnel was part of a bigger project.
“The tunnel does not only need new lights. There is more maintenance work that needs to be done,” he said.
Van Wyk explained that there were 75 lights that shone down from the roof of the tunnel with additional tube lights on the side.
He said, however, that the LED lights that replaced the old lights gave off enough luminous, that there was no need for the tube lights.
“The newly replaced lights are currently on loan to the metro until we can replace them with our own. We are just waiting for metro approval” he said.
He said the LED lights costs around R4 000 per light and he was waiting for the department of housing to approve this amount.
“Officials from the department will pay a visit to the tunnel to see the difference in the LED lights,” he said.
ALSO READ: UPDATE: Daspoort tunnel to undergo renovations this week
Van Wyk said he also had long-term plans with the tunnel.
“There have been suggestions from residents to lower the speed limit from 60km/h to 40km/h in the tunnel,” he said.
“I think this will make a big difference.”
Van Wyk said he would also suggest to the department that the railings be painted a lighter colour for more visibility.
He said the lines on the road of the tunnel also needed to be repainted.
Community activist Johan Cloete told Rekord that he was “thrilled” about the new lights in the tunnel.
ALSO READ: More light at the end of the Daspoort tunnel
“We, as a community, are very thankful that new lights have been installed in the tunnel,” he said.
“When the lights were finished this weekend, messages of thanks streamed through on various WhatsApp groups – we are truly grateful.”
Cloete thanked Van Wyk for his effort to make the upgrades a reality.
“All thanks go to Frik for his hard work – we know that he has been struggling for years,” he said.
Tunnel after the lights were replaced:
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