Canal de jonction de Nancy

Canal de jonction de Nancy
	Lock 10 on the Canal de jonction
Water code	FR : A --- 0202
location	France , Grand Est region
length	10 km
class	I ( Freycinet class )
Beginning	Branch off the Canal des Vosges near Messein
The End	It flows into the Canal de la Marne au Rhin in Laneuveville-devant-Nancy
Descent structures	18th

The Canal de jonction de Nancy , also Embranchement de Nancy , Canal de Nancy or just Canal de jonction (German: connecting canal ), is a shipping canal in eastern France , in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in the Grand Est region . It connects the Canal de la Marne au Rhin with the Canal des Vosges ( Canal de l'Est until 2003 ).

history

The canal was built to save ships on the Rhône - Rhine route and to and from the steelworks in nearby Neuves-Maisons having to make a detour via Toul and Frouard (Boucle de Nancy) . At the end of the 20th century it lay fallow and was reopened for shipping in March 2004. In May 2008 a dike slide made it impassable again for a length of 400 m until June 2012. Currently it is only used for recreational boating, mainly with houseboats . The permissible draft was reduced to 1.50 m.

course

The canal begins south of the village of Messein in the Moselle valley and runs over a ridge to Laneuveville-devant-Nancy in the Meurthe valley . The highest point (height separation section) is at Fléville-devant-Nancy , the hill is overcome with the help of a total of 18 locks with a length of 10 kilometers. Of these, five locks lead up from the Moselle valley, the descent into the Meurthe valley is accomplished by means of a lock staircase with thirteen locks.

Locks

Lock stairs

The dimensions of the locks correspond to the Freycinet dimensions ; they are designed for ships with a maximum length of 38.5 m and a width of 5.05 m with a maximum draft of 2.50 m. The locks are numbered from the height separation downwards, from 1 to 5 to Messein and from 1 to 13 to Laneuveville. With a few exceptions, the old lock keeper's houses have disappeared. All locks are remote-controlled by the boatmen.

Water supply

Since the ridge of Nancy has only limited water resources, the canal is supplied with water by a turbine lift that went into operation in 1881. Water is taken from the Moselle near Flavigny-sur-Moselle and fed via an open supply channel to the Usine élevatrice de Messein, which is located directly on the Canal des Vosges . There, four pumps, only one of which is currently in operation, are used to convey it to the highest section of the canal ( apex section ).

gallery

Branch from the Canal des Vosges with lock 5, on the left the building of the turbine lift
Turbine lift Messein
Information board at the turbine lift
Bridge on the Paris – Strasbourg railway line , lock 12 in the background
It flows into the Canal de la Marne au Rhin , immediately behind the road bridge at lock 13