At the invitation of the Walloon Public Service (SPW), the Seine-Scheldt EEIG held its monthly meeting in Wallonia on 22 October, at the Obourg lock site near Mons.
Representatives of the four operators responsible for delivering Europe’s largest large-gauge inland waterway network (De Vlaamse Waterweg, Service public de Wallonie, Société du Canal Seine-Nord Europe, Voies navigables de France) first gathered for a working meeting at the site offices of the Obourg lock duplication project.
One year after their previous visit, they were able to see the significant progress made on the works. A strategic infrastructure on the Centre Canal, the Obourg site provides a vital link between the Seine-Scheldt Network, the Meuse and the Rhine. The project involves the construction of a second lock chamber, 149 metres long and designed for Class Va vessels of up to 3,000 tonnes, alongside the existing lock, which can currently accommodate only Class IV vessels of up to 1,350 tonnes.
The works will remove a bottleneck between the Obourg economic area and France and also include the construction of a control station between the two locks, remote operation from the Perex control centre, a new turning basin for 135-metre vessels, waiting areas upstream and downstream of the lock, and the refurbishment of the riverbanks.
Construction began in September 2024 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2027. With a total budget of €130 million, the project benefits from European Union co-funding of up to €55.5 million through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).
Many thanks to the SPW teams for the warm welcome and the insightful visit. The project perfectly illustrates the steady progress of the Seine-Scheldt Network in Wallonia, as well as across the other partner regions.
