Canal de Bourbourg
| Canal de Bourbourg | |
|---|---|
 Bascule bridge over the canal in the city of Bourbourg |
|
| Water code | FR : E42-0172 |
| location | France , Hauts-de-France region |
| length | 21 km |
| Built | 1679 to 1846 |
| Beginning | Branch from the canalised Aa at Le Guindal |
| The End | Transition to the sea waterways in the main port of Dunkirk |
| Descent structures | Le Guindal, Bourbourg, Dunkirk |
| Ports | Bourbourg, Dunkirk |
| Junctions, crossings | Large shipping route Dunkirk-Scheldt |
| Kilometrage | at the Aa starting from Km 0 and ascending |
| Downhill | Towards Dunkirk |
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The Canal de Bourbourg is a French shipping canal that runs in the Nord department in the Hauts-de-France region .
geography
The canal connects the river Aa to the docks of Dunkirk . It is a connecting canal with a minimum height difference of about four meters.
Course and technical infrastructure
It begins at Le Guindal , municipality of Bourbourg , where it is connected to the canalised Aa . The canal initially runs to the east, crosses the city of Bourbourg and reaches the Dérivation du Canal de la Haute-Colme at Coppenaxfort (municipality of Craywick ) , which is now part of the Dunkirk-Scheldt major shipping route (fr: Liaison à grand gabarit Dunkerque-Escaut ). The Canal de Bourbourg now runs to the northeast and is itself part of this large shipping route for about two kilometers. It then branches off to the north and leads under the name Dérivation du Canal de Bourbourg (also called Canal de Mardyck ) to the Mardyck harbor basin in the western part of Dunkirk. The Canal de Bourbourg itself runs through the southern suburbs of the greater Dunkirk area, then turns sharply north and flows into the sea waterways in the main port of Dunkirk, near the confluence of the Canal de Bergues . It is around 21 km long and has 3 locks . Its route can be divided into the following sections:
- Western section, between the Aa valley and the major shipping route Dunkirk-Scheldt
- In this area there are two locks in operation, the dimensions of which correspond to the Freycinet format (39 × 5.20 m). The passage is therefore only possible for peniches or smaller ships. This section is therefore only of minor economic importance.
- Central section, as part of the large shipping route Dunkirk-Scheldt
- Barges with a loading capacity of up to 3000 tons can operate here, there are no locks. This area is used intensively by shipping.
- Eastern section, between Spycker and the port of Dunkirk
- At the port entrance there is a lock measuring 80 × 8.20 meters. An economic use is given as a feeder to the large shipping route.
Coordinates
- Starting point of the canal: 50 ° 56 ′ 15 ″ N , 2 ° 9 ′ 4 ″ E
- End point of the canal: 51 ° 1 ′ 41 ″ N , 2 ° 21 ′ 58 ″ E
Places on the canal
- Le Guindal , Bourbourg municipality
- Bourbourg
- Coppenaxfort , Craywick Parish
- Spycker
- Grande-Synthe
- Cappelle-la-Grande
- Coudekerque branch
- Dunkirk
history
The construction of the canal was decided by a decree of Louis XIV on July 26, 1670. Work began in 1679 and the canal was planned by the architect and fortress builder Vauban . The excavation of the trench was carried out by 30,000 men. The waterway was inaugurated in 1846.
Web links
- Canal de Bourbourg near SANDRE (French)
- Entry in the Babel project (French)
- Data sheet of the Canal de Bourbourg from SANDRE (French), accessed on September 5, 2011
- Histoire & Patrimoine des Rivières & Canaux , accessed September 5, 2011
- Histoire de Dunkerque Sous les rois de France - Louis XIV , (French), accessed on September 5, 2011
- Map from geoportail.fr (1: 16,000) , accessed October 9, 2011
- David Edwards-May: Inland waters of France, all navigable rivers and canals . Edition Maritim, Hamburg 1997, ISBN 3-922117-61-9 .