Maas-Waal Canal
The Maas-Waal Canal ( Dutch Maas-Waalkanaal ) is a Dutch waterway in the province of Gelderland that connects the Maas and Waal rivers . It runs in a north-south direction from Weurt near Nijmegen to Heumen . Its length is 13.5 km.
Before the construction of the Maas-Waal Canal, ships that wanted to travel from Heumen to Nijmegen in order to reach the German hinterland had to take a detour of 100 km. The canal began operating on October 27, 1927. Although the entire length of the canal is in the province of Gelderland, its management is in the hands of the Limburg Province Transport Department . The Weurt lock is located near Weurt and there is also a lock near Heumen. This is always open because the Maas is always kept at the same water level due to the damming at Grave.
In 2007 and 2008, several bridges (including the Dukenburgsebrug ) were raised by up to 35 cm to enable container traffic with four layers on the canal.
The construction of the Maas-Waal Canal had significant consequences for the communities directly affected. The municipality of Heumen was located between the canal and the Meuse and was now difficult to access. The village of Neerbosch was divided in half by the canal. In Hatert , the original village center disappeared completely after a bridge was built over the canal.
In the course of the expansion of the city of Nijmegen, the city administration decided in the 1960s to build the new Dukenburg district on the western bank of the canal .
Web links
- Maas-Waalkanaal Rijkswaterstaat (Dutch)