Canal du Nord
| Canal du Nord | |
|---|---|
 Branch from the Canal de la Sensée (on the right the Canal du Nord) |
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| Water code | FR : ---- 0472 |
| location | France , Hauts-de-France region |
| length | 76 km + 20 km on the Canal de la Somme |
| Built | 1908-1964 |
| class | IV |
| Beginning | Branch from the Canal de la Sensée at Arleux |
| The End | It flows into the Canal latéral à l'Oise at Pont-l'Évêque |
| Descent structures | 17 + 2 on the Canal de la Somme |
| Junctions, crossings | Canal de la Somme |
| Outstanding structures | Ruyaulcourt and La Panneterie canal tunnels |
| Kilometrage | from Arleux to the south |
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The Canal du Nord ( German: Nord Canal ) is a French shipping canal that runs in the Hauts-de-France region .
geography
The canal connects the Sensée and Oise valleys . The Canal du Nord is part of a supraregional inland waterway that connects Belgium and the English Channel with north-west France and the greater Paris area. This route consists of the following waterways:
- Large shipping route Dunkirk-Scheldt
- Canal du Nord
- Canal latéral à l'Oise
- Oise - as a canalized river
- Seine - as a channeled river
Course and technical infrastructure
The Canal du Nord begins at Arleux , where it connects to the Canal de la Sensée , which is now part of the Dunkirk-Scheldt major shipping route (French: Liaison à grand gabarit Dunkerque-Escaut ). The Canal du Nord runs south (according to the official kilometerage ) and ends at Pont-l'Évêque , near Noyon , where it joins the Canal latéral à l'Oise . It is a canal of the watershed type . It is 76 kilometers long and has 17 locks , the dimensions of which are 92 m × 5.90 m - draft 2.80 m - height limit 3.70 m. Its route overcomes two mountain ranges and can be divided into the following sections:
- Northern section, between the Sensée and Somme valleys
- The apex position is passed with the Ruyaulcourt tunnel (French: Souterrain de Ruyaulcourt ) (length 4.35 km). The difference in altitude to the mouth in the Sensée Valley is 40 meters and is overcome by 7 locks, while that to the Somme Valley is 28 meters and requires 5 locks.
- Canal de la Somme
- The Canal de la Somme is reached near Péronne , the channel of which is used by the Canal du Nord for about 20 kilometers, but is not included in the length calculation of the canal. The effective driving distance is therefore around 96 kilometers.
- The apex posture is passed in the La Panneterie (French: Souterrain de Panneterie ) tunnel (length 1.10 km). The height difference to the Somme Valley is 13 meters and is overcome by 3 locks (2 of which are part of the Canal de la Somme), the one to the mouth in the Oise Valley is 22 meters and requires 4 locks.
Basement de Ruyaulcourt
The tunnel at Ruyaulcourt is 4,350 meters long. At its north portal there is a tower, from which navigation through the tunnel is regulated. There are decameter boards in the tunnel, the zero point of which is at the north portal. A special feature in the tunnel is a meeting point for ships between 1660 and 2690 (meters from the north portal). For this section, overtaking is prohibited, which is indicated by illuminated signs. The surveillance takes place with light barriers and cameras mounted on the tunnel ceiling. There is a sidewalk on both sides, which has been provided with doors at the portals since the beginning of 2009 and thus prevents unauthorized entry. 2190 meters from the north portal there is a shaft to the surface where a fan system is located. At 2765 meters there is a rescue shaft from which you can reach both side paths through a staircase.
Coordinates
- Starting point of the canal: 50 ° 16 ′ 44 ″ N , 3 ° 7 ′ 0 ″ E
- End point of the canal: 49 ° 33 ′ 38 " N , 2 ° 58 ′ 59" E
Crossed departments
Places on the canal
history
Construction work began in 1908 when the parallel Canal de Saint-Quentin was already overloaded. For financial reasons, however, construction was not continued until after the Second World War , so that it was not completed until 1964.
Economical meaning
The cargo shipping between the Seine basin and the major ports on the Atlantic Ocean in northern France, Belgium and the Netherlands is also very relevant today. The Canal du Nord is the most modern shipping canal on this route and was designed for larger ships than those of the earlier Freycinet standard .
Planned development
However, since these dimensions do not correspond to any current standard, ships specially manufactured for this canal (see also: Compoca Nord ) must be used in order to achieve a reasonably economical transport. The canal therefore by no means meets today's requirements. The CEMT responded to this with the introduction of its own inland shipping class Canal du Nord .
As part of the European Union , the Canal Seine-Nord Europe (CSNE) project, which provides for the construction of a 106 km long canal in a south-north direction through northern France between the catchment areas of the Seine and Scheldt rivers, has been included in the transport route plan. Ships up to category Vb (push convoy with two barges) should be able to navigate the new inland waterway. The project planning was completed in 2010, then preparatory work took place, the actual construction work should take place in the years 2012 to 2016. Commissioning was planned for 2017. After a change of government and recalculation, the project has been considered unfinanceable since 2013.
Web links
literature
- David Edwards-May: Inland waters of France , 5th edition, Verlag Edition Maritim, Hamburg 1997, ISBN 3-922117-61-9
- Navicarte Guide de navigation fluvial - n ° 24 , July 2005, Edition Grafocarte, ISBN 2-7416-0149-6
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b The information on the length of the canal is based on the information on the Canal du Nord from SANDRE (French), accessed on December 12, 2011, rounded to the nearest kilometer.
- ↑ Northern France Canal . In: on board issue 3/2011, p. 64