Ghent–Terneuzen Canal
Ghent–Terneuzen Canal | |
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The Ghent–Terneuzen Canal (Dutch: Kanaal van Gent naar Terneuzen), also known as the "Sea Canal" (Zeekanaal) is a
History
The canal was constructed between 1823 and 1827 on the initiative of the Dutch King: Belgium (as it subsequently became) and the Netherlands had become a united country under the terms agreed at the Congress of Vienna. After Belgium broke away in 1830, traffic to and from Belgium was blocked by the Dutch until 1841.
Between 1870 and 1885, the canal was enlarged to a depth of six and a half metres at its centre, and to a width of 17 metres at its base and 68 metres at the surface level: bridges being rebuilt accordingly along the Belgian sector.
The famous
Further development and major enlargement took place during the subsequent century, most notably during the early 1960s.
In February 2015, Flanders and the Netherlands signed a treaty for the construction of a new lock at Terneuzen, scheduled for completion in 2021 and costing €920M.[1] The new lock is about the same size as those of the contemporaneous expansion project of the Panama Canal.[1]
Today
Today the Ghent-Terneuzen canal is 200 metres wide and 32 kilometers (20 mi) long, capable of accommodating ships of up to 125 000 gross tonnage. The largest permitted vessel size has increased, correspondingly, to 265 metres long x 34 metres wide, with a draught of up to 12.5 metres.
References
- ^ IHS Inc. Archived from the originalon 23 April 2015. Retrieved 2015-04-23.
This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2015) |
External links
- Portaal van Vlaanderen (in Dutch)
51°08′48″N 3°46′57″E / 51.1466°N 3.78239°E