This inland waterway infrastructure has been in service on the Lys since August 2020. It replaces an existing lock. However, with a usable length of 280 metres (instead of 136, as it was before) and a depth of 4.5 metres (instead of 3.5), it means that all barges travelling on the wide-gauge river network, even the largest, can go through it. It also has intermediate gates that divide the lock in two, saving water and time during manoeuvres. The lock is already one of the busiest locks in Flanders and will play a major role in the Seine-Scheldt network: once the Seine-Nord Europe Canal is in service, the annual freight traffic on the site, which currently stands at 10 million tonnes, is expected to double.
More information on the De Vlaamse Waterweg nv (Flemish Waterways) website
