Highways·Government of South Australia Fire Suppression Systems·—·Government of South Australia Fire Suppression Systems

Heysen Tunnels Fire Safety and Ventilation Upgrade (South Australia)

23 exhaust fans · automated fire suppression · AUD$150m upgrade · wildfire tunnel safety

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Key insight

Wildfire in UK is an emerging but rapidly growing risk (2022 London grass fires, 2019 Sutherland peatland fires). This case demonstrates that tunnel fire suppression systems are technically proven and deployable at reasonable cost relative to the risk they mitigate.

Transferability to UK: MediumThe tunnel ventilation and fire suppression approach is applicable to UK road tunnels as wildfire risk increases, particularly in upland and moorland road corri

Major safety refit of the Heysen Tunnels on South Australia's South Eastern Freeway, driven by increasing wildfire and extreme heat risk: 23 new exhaust fans to disperse smoke, automated fire suppression capable of spraying water for two hours, and upgraded ITS including thermal incident detection. The fire safety standard achieved is described by the infrastructure authority as 'the safest tunnels anywhere in the world'.

Climate drivers

High temperatures

Impacts

→Wildfire→Air pollution→Tunnel fire risk

Adaptation measures

  • Exhaust ventilation fans (23 new)
  • Automated fire suppression (2hr spray capacity)
  • Emergency communications system
  • Intelligent transport system upgrades
  • Thermal incident detection

Assets affected

Road pavementTunnelsTraffic management systems

Investment

AUD $150m (combined Australian and South Australian Government)

Band: £100m+

Delivery period

—

  • Bushfires in Australia can cause disruption and significantly damage road infrastructure – this can include structural damage, reduced visibility as a result of bushfire smoke, melted or cracked asphalt, and road obstructions .
  • A notable example of this was the Black-Summer bushfire season during 2019 - 2020. During this period almost 19 million hectares was burnt, impacting roads and causing widespread damage and numerous road closures due to fallen trees and burnt vegetation .
  • Work commenced in 2023 on the South Eastern Freeway Upgrade Project, whereby refit work would address elements which are at the end of their service life to improve safety, traffic management, and incident response capabilities .

Ref: ID_21 · Government of South Australia Fire Suppression Systems · Curated & verified by HIVE

Transferability to UK: Medium

The tunnel ventilation and fire suppression approach is applicable to UK road tunnels as wildfire risk increases, particularly in upland and moorland road corridors. The UK has no dedicated tunnel fire suppression standard — this case provides evidence for raising requirements.

UK contexts

Major UK road tunnelsUpland road corridors with wildfire exposureScottish Highland tunnels and roads

Applicable UK-wide

Transfer to other sectors (AI)