| Seine – Nord Europe Canal | |
|---|---|
| Diagnoses archaeological excavations on the route of the canal Seine-Nord Europe in October 2008. In the background, village Aubencheul-au-Bac | |
| Specifications | |
| Canal length: | 105 km (65 mi) |
| Lock length: | 195 m (640 ft) |
| Lock width: | 12.5 m (41 ft) |
| Max boat length: | 185 m (607 ft) (x2 push-tug) |
| Max boat beam: | 11.4 m (37 ft) |
| Min boat draft: | 3 m (9.8 ft) |
| Original locks: | 7 |
| Total rise: | 139 m (456 ft) |
| Status: | Preparation for tender |
| History | |
| Expected completion | 2015 [1] |
| Geography | |
| Starts at: | Oise River at Janville, Oise |
| Ends at: | Canal Dunkerque-Escaut, east of Arleux |
The Seine-Nord Europe Canal is a high capacity canal currently[update] in development, with preliminary works set to begin in 2010, with major construction from 2012 and due to open in 2016[2]. It is projected to begin from the Oise River at Janville, Oise, north of Compiègne, to the Canal Dunkerque-Escaut, east of Arleux. The net effect will be to considerably expand trade flows in a fuel-efficient and ecologically friendly manner while connecting to surrounding northern European countries such as Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.
The canal will be the French section of the Seine-Escaut (Scheldt) European link. It will run 106 km from Janville, north of Compiègne, to the Canal Dunkerque-Escaut, crossing the regions of Picardy and Nord-Pas-de-Calais. [3]
The 105-kilometre-long canal will connect the Seine and Scheldt rivers and facilitate the transport of goods through inland waterways. When the new Seine Nord connection is ready, it will allow large vessels to transport goods between the Seine river (and the Paris area) and the ports of Dunkerque, Antwerp, and Rotterdam, or further into Europe. The canal will replace the Canal de Saint-Quentin and the current Canal du Nord, increasing maximum barge capacity from 650 to 4400 tonnes.[4]
The canal will include several large structures, including seven locks and three aqueducts: two over the A29 and A26 autoroutes, and one 1330 metres long over the Somme[5]. The project’s budget will be €4.2 billion, financed by the European Union, the French government, local regional governments and through public-private partnerships.
According to Nicolas Bour, the project leader of the Seine-Nord Europe Mission, "1500 containers unloaded in a maritime port equal 1000 trucks on the road or 25 fully loaded goods trains, but only 5 vessels."