Hindhead Tunnel: The people who keep us safe 24 hours a day

On a bitterly cold night around 30 workers gather outside the Hindhead Tunnel ahead of a long night of essential maintenance.

- by Joseph Williams

The Hindhead Tunnel Control Room has full visibility of the tunnel and monitors it 24 hours a day.

The tunnel has had night closures all week with the southbound section of the A3-the main road from London to Portsmouth - being the focus of attention.

The News was invited behind the scenes to look at what takes place during the tunnel closures - as well as to find out more about the issues that can cause delays for drivers on the busy stretch of road.

While it may be viewed as an inconvenience to some, maintenance works take place every 12 weeks to ensure the safety of people using the tunnel.

It can include tasks such as jet washing with the smallest piece of loose rubbish having the potential to cause traffic delays.

Debbie Wood, 48, from Horndean, is a National Highways tunnel safety officer and has worked at Hindhead since it opened in 2011.

She said: "As well as Hindhead I manage two other tunnels, Southwick and Roundhill.

"I act as an independent authority on safety issues and do training exercises with emergency services and ensure the control room staff are fully trained.

"I ensure everyone's safety in the tunnel."

Safety is at the forefront of the essential maintenance works that are taking place with lighting, jet fans, emergency telephones and CCTVs all checked by the workforce to ensure they are working correctly in time for the reopening at 6am.