MARCH 22, 2010

Spa tunnel collapses

This past Sunday at the Spa Francorchamps circuit, the home of the Belgium Grand Prix, a section of tunnel collapsed.

This past Sunday at the Spa Francorchamps circuit, the home of the Belgium Grand Prix, a section of tunnel collapsed. A large hole formed on the surface in one of the run-off areas near the Blanchimont corner.

The interior of the tunnel is composed of corrugated metal plates, and was built in the late 1970s to provide access for trucks and pedestrians to the karting track on the inside of the circuit. The failure is believed to have been caused by to the age of the tunnel and no one was in the vicinity at the time.

The circuit will be closed this week to assess the damage but the repairs are not expected to effect the Grand Prix scheduled for late August.