It was a real obstacle to river traffic on the Walloon backbone: the lock at Auvelais (Wallonia) restricted passage on the Lower Sambre to boats with a maximum depth of 2.60 metres. This had a direct impact on the quantity of materials transported – larger boats had to carry less than their maximum capacity – and, depending on the flow of the Lower Sambre, made it tricky for larger vessels to approach the lock.
Thanks to the major deepening and renovation work carried out by the Service public de Wallonie Mobilité et Infrastructures (SPW MI) since the spring of 2021, at the end of May 2024, the draught for merchant vessels admitted to the Basse Sambre was reduced from 2.60 metres to 2.80 metres from the junction with the Charleroi-Bruxelles canal to the confluence with the Meuse. This is a direct gain in efficiency for river transport on this essential link in the Walloon backbone between the Meuse and Scheldt basins.
Copyright: ©SPW-P-M Warnier
This new development strengthens the competitive position of inland waterway transport, and is also crucial to the development of the Seine-Scheldt wide-gauge European river network, with the forthcoming construction of the Seine-Nord Europe Canal in France. It is a strategic lever for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Wallonia and Europe.
The work cost €13.5 million, 40% of which was funded by the European Union as part of the Seine-Scheldt cross-border project.
Copyright : ©SPW-DTIM-M Delaude
