North Sea Canal
| North Sea Canal | |
|---|---|
 Location of the North Sea Canal in the Netherlands |
|
| location | North Holland Province (Netherlands) |
| length | 21 km |
| Built | 1865-1876 |
| Expanded | last expansion 1963–1979 |
| Beginning | IJmuiden on the North Sea |
| The End | Port of Amsterdam |
| Descent structures | 4 locks in IJmuiden 4 locks in Amsterdam (Oranjeschleusen) |
| Ports | Ijmuiden, Beverwijk, Amsterdam |
| Junctions, crossings | 10 side channels |
| Historical precursors | North Holland Canal |
| Used river | IJ and Wijkermeer |
| Top speed. | 12/14/18 km / h (according to ship size) |
| Competent authority | Rijkswaterstaat |
| Water level −0.40 m NAP (max.0.0 m NAP) | |
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The North Sea Canal ( Dutch Noordzeekanaal ) is a 21 kilometer long canal for seagoing vessels in the Netherlands . In the province of North Holland it connects the port of Amsterdam in a westerly direction with the North Sea at IJmuiden . Behind the seaport of Amsterdam , the canal merges into the inland IJ, which extends over seven kilometers to Schellingwoude on the Markermeer northeast of Amsterdam. For inland vessels, the inland IJ has a direct connection to the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal , which after 72 kilometers at Tiel reaches the Waal and thus the river basin of the Rhine . In order to keep the water level in the canal system at 40 centimeters below NAP (NAP = Normaal Amsterdam Peil ) there are locks at all ends of the system . Rijkswaterstaat , the executive authority of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment for the construction and maintenance of roads and waterways, is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the entire canal .
Channel course
For ships with a large draft, the approach to the North Sea Canal begins, to be precise, in the North Sea. Since the coastal area in the North Sea off IJmuiden does not have sufficient depth for large seagoing vessels, a fairway ( geul ) called IJgeul was dredged, which is currently (2019) 21.0 meters deep. The fairway, 450 to 600 meters wide, opened in 1982, is 43 kilometers long and extends from the deep-water routes and the traffic separation area of the North Sea to the coast and in front of the IJmuiden jetties. As a result, ships with a maximum draft of 17.8 meters have been able to call at the port of IJmuiden since 2006. The last 23 kilometers in IJgeul are marked by the beacon line of the two lighthouses of IJmuiden . In principle, ships with a draft of over 14.10 meters must sail in the IJgeul.
The port operations center ( Haven Operatie Centrum HOC) and Nederlands Loodswezen's operations center for the Amsterdam-IJmond region are located on the canal next to the small lighthouse of IJmuiden . From here, modern computer systems are used to manage the traffic for all ships in the IJgeul and the North Sea Canal. The pilots are transferred to and from the ships by pilot boats , which are located at the head of the first lock island.
The outer port of IJmuiden begins when you pass the two pier lights at the port entrance. The two piers were lengthened in the 1960s to 2,500 (north) and 3,000 meters (south) and have had an asymmetrical semicircular floor plan since then. They reveal an entrance opening 750 meters wide. The marina Seaport Marina IJmuiden , one of the few marinas in the Netherlands that has direct access to the North Sea, is located south of the old south pier . This is followed to the east by the IJmondhaven , Haringhaven and Vissershaven docks . In the middle of the entrance area ( Havenmond ) is Forteiland with the fortress IJmuiden , which is surrounded by the two access canals to the locks. The northern canal ( Noorder Buitenkanaal ) is at the same time the access to the Averijhaven (dt. Havariehafen) and the Hoogovenhaven , on which the Hoogovens steelworks with the two blast furnaces is located. Only this access channel has sufficient depth for ships with maximum draft. Since the maximum draft for the North Sea Canal is 'only' 13.75 meters (in salt water), ships with too much draft have to be lightened before entering the locks at the IJ dolphins . This is to take place in the future in the port of disaster.
Behind the Havenmond, in an easterly direction, is the large lock system, through which the North Sea Canal is decoupled from the tidal action of the North Sea. Four locks for shipping, the construction site (2019) of the new sea lock and a drainage canal ( Spuikanaal ) are staggered one behind the other over a length of 1500 meters . The city center of IJmuiden extends south of the lock system.
For details see: lock system
The kilometers of the waterway begin behind the two oldest locks on the south bank of the canal. A total of 10 side canals branch off along the canal route and open up and drain the hinterland. The two railway bridges initially built over the canal ( Velserspoorbrug and Hembrug ) were replaced by tunnels . At km 11.5, the western port area of Amsterdam is reached with the Africa port. Subsequently, further harbor basins extend over a length of 10 kilometers south of the canal route, which can still be reached with the maximum possible draft. The North Sea Canal ends directly behind the Coentunnel of the A10 motorway at Mercuriushafen , the last basin of the seaport of Amsterdam.
The remaining part of the canal route is called the inland IJ and still has a water depth of 11 meters. Here, east of Amsterdam Central Station ( Amsterdam Centraal ) is the Passenger Terminal Amsterdam , where the cruise ships moor. After seven kilometers the inland IJ ends at the Oranjesluizen near Schellingwoude. Behind it, the Outer IJ begins as part of the Markermeer, via which the inland vessels reach the IJsselmeer and the Dutch Wadden Sea. In front of the locks, the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal branches off to the south.
In the North Sea Canal, the ships are subject to speed restrictions depending on their draft:
- Draft less than 4 meters: 18 km / h (9.7 knots )
- Draft from 4 to 8 meters: 14 km / h (7.5 knots)
- Draft over 8 meters: 12 km / h (6.5 knots)
North Sea Canal at Velsen South
Beverwijk
Port of Amsterdam in the background
Western port area of Amsterdam
Construction of the canal
History of origin
Amsterdam is located at the southern end of the former North Sea Bay Zuiderzee at the confluence of the Amstel in the IJ Bay , a tributary of the Zuiderzee. Its port with the shipyards had been on the east side of the old city center since the 16th century. The only access from the North Sea to the port of Amsterdam was through the Zuiderzee, today's IJsselmeer . But over the years this driveway silted up more and more, so that other options were considered. On behalf of King Wilhelm I, this led to the construction of the 80-kilometer-long North Holland Canal , which has been connecting Amsterdam with the coastal city and the naval port of Den Helder in the north since 1824 . But the canal with a bed width of ten meters and a water depth of six to seven meters quickly became too small for the ever-growing ships and the increased shipping traffic . Therefore an alternative had to be looked for again.
The city administration of Amsterdam preferred the shortest possible canal route directly to the North Sea over the IJ, which in the middle of the 19th century extended in the west with the Wijkermeer to the dunes of Velsen . At the time, there was the narrowest point in North Holland, only seven kilometers wide, which had to be broken through to build a canal. For a long time this option was avoided because if this point was weakened, there was a risk that half the country would be flooded if the North Sea broke through. But in 1863 the King issued by decree , a concession to the company De Amsterdamsche Kanaal Maatschappij the North Sea Canal (AMK) to build with breakthrough to the Velser Duinen. The background to this was also the king's intention to fight unemployment . However, no Dutch company could be found for the planned work and the English company Henry Lee & Son with experience in the construction of ports had to be commissioned.
Construction and first years of operation
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Construction work began in 1865. To form the canal route, the IJ was polded and provided with dikes totaling 17 kilometers in length. The polder areas on both sides of 5,500 hectares (55 km²) were sold and used to finance the construction of the canal. Even if there were already steam-powered excavators , the breakthrough at the Vels dunes to the North Sea had to be made largely by hand with a shovel and wheelbarrow. The workers lived under miserable conditions in wooden huts made of flotsam and clay or in holes in the ground. Those lucky enough to live in a barn had to pay usury rents. Illnesses, brawls and alcohol abuse were the order of the day. After 11 years on November 1, 1876, the canal was opened by King Wilhelm III . The planned depth of the canal was not yet given at the beginning and had to be excavated with dredgers in the following two years. The first fully loaded ship that could reach Amsterdam unhindered arrived in October 1878. At the time, the canal had a bed width of 27 meters and the required water depth of around seven meters.
At the western end of the canal, the port city of IJmuiden (Dutch for IJ estuary) with the first two locks was built on the south bank. On the Amsterdam side, a dam was built with a lock to close off the Zuiderzee. At the insistence of the city of Amsterdam and the inland boatmen , the number of locks was increased to three and the area was named Oranjesluizen .
Financially, the channel was not a success for the AMK and they had to return the concession. The Dutch state took responsibility for building the canal in 1883 . In the meantime, the use of the canal by seagoing vessels had increased steadily and the ships had also grown larger, so that an expansion was urgently required. In addition to the widening and deepening of the canal route, a third larger lock was built in IJmuiden by 1896.
Further expansion of the canal
The canal has greatly promoted the growth of the Port of Amsterdam and has resulted in it currently ranking fourth in Europe for cargo handling and the second largest seaport in the Netherlands after Rotterdam Europoort . Its expansion was initially only designed for the Dutch hinterland. It was only with the construction and opening of the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal in 1952 that the port was also oriented towards the international hinterland. With the 'general expansion plan ' ( Algemeen Uitbreidingsplan ), the western port area was expanded with further basins and the canal deepened in the 1950s. In contrast, the old port area in the east lost its importance and new residential areas were created there from 1990. Over the years the canal has been deepened and widened several times (p. 20 in) and today has a bed width of 170 meters with a surface width of approx. 270 meters. The current depth is 15.10 meters and is therefore the maximum possible depth of the canal, which is given by the vertices of the two tunnel structures near Velsen. The maximum permissible draft for the North Sea Canal (fresh water) is 14.05 meters due to the necessary safety distance. This corresponds to a draft in salt water of 13.75 meters.
| Expansion of the North Sea Canal | ||
|---|---|---|
| year | depth | Sole width |
| 1876-1883 | 8.00 m | 27 m |
| 1889-1896 | 9.00 m | 25 m |
| 1897-1898 | 9.50 m | 36 m |
| 1902-1907 | 10.30 m | 50 m |
| 1929-1939 | 12.50 m | 75 m |
| 1955 plan | 15.00 m | 100 m |
| 1960-1979 | 16.00 m | 170 m |
Source:
IJmuiden lock system
Construction of the lock system
The sea-side closure of the North Sea Canal is formed by the IJmuiden locks . When the canal was opened in 1876, only two locks ( Dutch sluizen = plural of Sluis ) were available: the small lock ( Kleine Sluis ) with a length of 69 meters and the larger south lock ( Zuidersluis ) with a length of 120 meters. Both lock chambers had double stem gates on the upper and lower head so that they could be locked at low tide and high tide . Decisive for the diving depths of the ships is the jamb depth of the lock heads, which were five or eight meters at the time of completion. However, the dimensions of the lock chambers were not long enough, as more and more ships over 120 meters in length were put into service. After less than ten years of operation, they were forced to plan another, larger lock. In order not to expose the ships to rough seas, the draft envisaged relocating the new lock 470 meters further inland. This created the first lock island with the adjacent large lock in the northeast with a chamber length of 225 meters. The lock, which opened in 1896, had a jamb depth of 10 meters. As with the other two locks, the chamber walls were bricked up and the lock heads equipped with double mortise gates. It remained the largest lock in the world until the opening of the Panama Canal Locks in 1913. After the opening of the Nordschleuse, the lock was given its current name Mittelschleuse ( Middensluis ) in 1930 .
But this lock too became too small due to the further increase in ship sizes, so that in 1909 new plans for a lock began. A decision to build the north lock ( Noordersluis ) was not issued until 1921, and on April 29, 1930, the lock was officially opened by Queen Wilhelmina . With a length of 400 meters, a width of 50 meters and a jamb depth of 15 meters, it was again and for a long time the largest lock in the world. The outer lock gate was another 580 meters further to the east in order not to obstruct access to the Hoogovenhaven in IJmuiden.
A new access canal ( Noorder Buitenkanaal ) had to be created to allow unhindered access for large ships from the North Sea , which turned the fortress built by 1887 into an island in the area of the port entrance. With its dimensions , the north lock was designed for ships up to 90,000 dwt , but it could not be used because the access channel was not sufficiently deep. It was not until the expansion in the 1960s with the jetty extension that the dredging was carried out to a depth of 15 meters, so that only afterwards the jamb depth of the north lock could be used for the access.
For the first time, the locks were fitted with rolling gates 53.5 meters wide and 20 meters high, which are moved horizontally in side gate chambers. Due to the high bending stress of such wide doors, the cross-section depth ('thickness') was 7.30 meters, so that each door has a mass of 1175 tons .
Renovation of the locks
At the end of the 20th century, Rijkswaterstaat carried out the last major renovation of the lock system in order to make the system fit for another 50 years of operation. The entire electrical system with the controls for the lock gates and the movable bridges was renewed.
The two oldest locks were renovated between 1997 and 2001. The brick walls were refurbished and reinforced with concrete structures. In the case of the small lock, this led to the usable width being reduced by one meter. The construction measure could be used to extend the lock to the new usable length of the south lock of 111 meters. All old lock gates were renewed and provided with hydraulic drives. The securing of the lock heads at the Kleiner Schleuse led to a reduction in the jamb depth to 3.75 meters, which means that in future it will mainly be available for recreational shipping.
During the inspections before the renovation of the central lock (1992 to 1997) the overall condition was good, so that essentially the drives of the lock gates were converted to hydraulic cylinders. Due to the reinforcement of the lock gates, the pivot points of the gates also had to be adjusted accordingly.
The concrete walls at the Nordschleuse had to be refurbished to remove any damage caused by the war. The existing three old lock gates from 1929 have been completely replaced. At the same time, the taxiways at the bottom of the lock heads and the trolleys on which the gates run, as well as the drive technology, were renewed. The fourth roller door only required an overhaul, as it was from the 1970s. At that time, two collisions with the gates occurred in quick succession, so that the decision to build a fourth gate was taken.
For all lock gates of the four locks, reserve doors of the various types are available so that replacements can be installed immediately for maintenance or in the event of damage. The heavily used Nordschleuse has a separate and now covered gate dock for maintenance of the roller doors . This dock is located inside the lock chamber on the seaward lock main and contains one of the reserve gates. A ballast system with air chambers can be used to make the gates float so that they can be brought from the gate chamber to the gate dock with the aid of a tugboat. The fourth roller shutter is stored in the 3rd Rijksbinnenhaven near Velsen. The door is changed regularly every four to six years.
Construction of the new sea lock
The Nordschleuse will be 100 years old in 2029 and will gradually reach the end of its service life. It is extremely important for the port and the cruise terminal of Amsterdam because it handles 80% of the total cargo. Failure cannot be risked. In addition, the lock has gradually become too small for the largest container ships and the chamber width is no longer sufficient for the latest 'giants' of cruise ships. In order to avoid a 'migration' of seagoing vessels to Rotterdam and not to restrict the development of the port, Rijkswaterstaat has made the decision to build a completely new lock. The new sea lock will be the largest lock in the world with the main dimensions: 500 meters in length, 70 meters in width and 18 meters in depth and will exceed the 'old' Nordschleuse by 100 meters in length and 20 meters in width. The jamb depth of 18 meters corresponds to the water depth in the northern access channel ( Noorderbuitenkanaal ). This means that ships with the maximum permissible draft for the North Sea Canal will in future be able to enter the lock even at low tide and no longer have to wait for high tide .
The new lock is being built south of the north lock on the island to the middle lock, which has been expanded to the east for this purpose. Although there is only little space available for the construction work, the lock operation at the existing locks should be continued without interruption as far as possible. The new sea lock will replace the old north lock after it goes out of service. Rijkswaterstaat will later make a decision about the future of the Nordschleuse.
The tender for the new sea lock did not require a structure, but a service in the sense of a PPP (public-private partnership) consisting of the planning, construction, financing and maintenance of a new lock (DBFM project Design-Built- Finance maintenance). In September 2015, the OpenIJ consortium , a joint venture of the Dutch construction companies Royal BAM Group and VolkerWessels, as well as six financial investors , won the bid from six bidders . The contract runs for a total of 30 years, of which 4 years are planned for construction and 26 years for maintenance.
The planning work of the building consortium resulted in an equally large design for the two lock gates, so that both gates can serve for flood safety. In addition, the same design of the gates saves having to keep another replacement gate, so that only three lock gates have to be made. Opposite the Nordschleuse, there are no circumferential gates that drain excess water and instead this water is passed through the gates. A measure that saves construction costs and time. In order to avoid deep construction pits for the construction of the two gate chambers, these are designed as caissons . The chambers built in the building construction are then pneumatically lowered into the ground. In addition to the lower risk for the existing building structure, this construction method also avoids extensive pile foundations for the gate chambers.
Construction began in 2016, which was initially planned for the opening. The main lock on the canal side (east) will have two gate chambers as the reserve gate will be located there. As a result, this structure is 80 meters long, 55 meters wide and 25 meters high - twice the size of the other. The dimensions of the three lock gates are: 72 meters long and 24 meters high. At 11 meters wide, a door has a mass of 2,900 tons. The gates were built in South Korea and first came by sea to Rotterdam, where they were launched on Maasvlakte 2. After turning by 90 degrees, they could be dragged in their intended installation position by swimming for the remaining 80 km to IJmuiden, where the first gate arrived in December 2018.
After the delayed start of construction, the completion date was set for 2020. In July 2018, Rijkswaterstaat announced that the completion date would be delayed by 27 months, so that the opening can take place in January 2022 at the earliest. The reason for this was the necessary rescheduling with reinforcement and stiffening of the 7 meter thick gate chamber walls, because - according to an expert opinion - their stability during the lowering process by 23 meters was not considered sufficient. This is due to the unclosed construction, which is unusual in caissons, which is open at the top and at the sides (gate opening).
OpenIJ put the total cost of the project at 350 million euros. They were 100 million euros below the next consortium of bidders. 75% of the costs are borne by the Dutch state. Other payers are the city of Amsterdam, the port administration GHA (Gemeentelijk Havenbedrijf Amsterdam), the province of North Holland and the municipality of Velsen.
The delays and additional costs due to the construction errors in the construction of the gate chambers amount to 200 million euros and have to be written off by the consortium, as the government refuses to compensate the costs. However, there are additional costs for the removal of pipes, cables and bunkers found underground. The continued operation of the old Nordschleuse over the 'delayed' period also generates costs for Rijkswaterstaat. The total costs are currently (as of 2019) almost 900 million euros.
The European Commission is participating in the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) program with 1.75 million euros.
Flood protection
The IJmuiden lock complex is part of the primary flood protection system in the Netherlands and must also be secured against storm surges in the North Sea. Therefore, the last renovation work on the locks was also used to bring the lock system with the lock islands up to date with flood protection on the Dutch North Sea coast. For IJmuiden and the lock system, a minimum height of NAP +7.50 meters was calculated as necessary, because under storm surge conditions there is no significant elevation due to waves. This takes into account the rise in sea water level due to the climate changes that can be observed worldwide at 0.25 meters.
The new sea lock will be upgraded against floods to a height of NAP +8.85 meters, which will make it one of the highest flood protection systems ( waterkering ) in the Netherlands. For comparison, the NAP height of the 22 meter high gates of the Maeslant barrage in the Nieuwe Waterweg is five meters above NAP. The new heights for flood protection are shown in the table below.
Lock dimensions
To compare the dimensions, this table contains the sizes of the Panama Canal locks and the two large locks in Antwerp.
| Name of the lock | Year of commissioning |
Usable length [meters] |
Width [meters] |
Drilling depth [meter] |
Lock main via NAP |
Gate height above NAP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small lock | 1876 | 69 | 12 | 5.40 | ||
| new from | 1999 | 111 | 11 | 3.75 | 7.80 | 4.85 |
| South lock | 1876 | 120 | 18th | 7.75 | ||
| new from | 2001 | 105 | 18th | 8.00 | 7.85 | 4.85 |
| Middle lock | 1896 | 225 | 25th | 10.00 | 7.10 | 5.85 |
| new from | 1996 | 200 | 25th | 10.00 | 7.85 | 5.85 |
| Nordschleuse | 1929 | 400 | 50 | 15.00 | 6.00 | 5.85 |
| New sea lock | 2022 | 500 | 70 | 18.00 | 8.85 | |
| for comparison | ||||||
| Panama Canal old | 1914 | 304 | 33.5 | 12 | ||
| new Neopanmax | 2016 | 427 | 55 | 18.30 | ||
| Berendrechtsluis | 1989 | 500 | 68 | 13 | ||
| Kieldrechtsluis | 2016 | 500 | 68 | 18th | ||
More locks
The Oranjeschleusen are located at the eastern end of the North Sea Canal near Schellingwoude . They are mainly used by inland and recreational shipping to sail across the Outer IJ to the Markermeer and further into the IJsselmeer . The three locks of 67 and 90 meters in length that have existed since the canal was opened were supplemented by a fourth lock in 1995. The 200 meter long Willem-Alexander lock means that significantly larger cargo ships can now be used in commercial shipping.
At the level of Amsterdam Central Station on the north side of the Inner IJ is the Willem I Sluis as the entrance gate to the North Holland Canal , which leads in the direction of Alkmaar through North Holland and to Den Helder. Further locks are located at the ends of the side channels.
The Amsterdam-Rhine Canal , which adjoins Amsterdam with the same water level, has three large double locks at its southern end to the Lek and Waal , so that cargo and push boats can reach their destinations on the Rhine and the Maas.
The Amstelschleusen ( Amstelsluizen ) are located on the Amstel within the city of Amsterdam . The lock system with five lock chambers was built in the 17th century to seal off the Amstel from the tides in the IJ. With the completion of the construction work on the North Sea Canal, the facility was deprived of its function. It has been completely renovated and adapted to the new requirements. Today the lock gates are mostly open and allow several passageways. The gates are only closed when there are extreme differences in water level. The lock islands with the old service buildings and the distinctive "trees" for moving the gates are a national monument of the Netherlands.
Side channels
On the banks of the IJ Bay, various canals that served for shipping to the IJ and drainage of the lower-lying parts of the country ended before the poldering. In order to maintain these functions, these canals had to be extended up to the new canal route. With the construction of the canal, a total of ten side canals were laid north and south of the route and designated with the letters A to K (page 26).
- Side canal A (north at km 5) is one kilometer long and leads to the port of Beverwijk De Pijp , which was built on the Wijkermeer as early as the 16th century. The narrow side branch of the Ringvaart is now only occupied by houseboats. Originally this branch was intended for the infusion of the fortress ring of Amsterdam .
- Side canal B (south at km 7.5) was three kilometers long when it was built and ran along the former dike on the IJ to Spaarndam . During the construction of the A9 motorway, which crosses the side canal on a dam halfway, the canal was divided and no longer usable. The northern part is part of the Spaarnwoude recreation area and ends on the banks of the North Sea Canal with a dam. The southern part now serves as a berth for houseboats on both sides and can be reached from Spaarndamer IJ .
- Lateral canal C (south at km 10) is the second connection to Spaarne between Buitenhuizen and Spaarndam with a length of 3.5 kilometers. Buitenhuizen was on a headland that jutted from the north between the IJ and Wijkermeer. This peninsula had to be broken through when the canal was built. The western bank of the side channel C is the extension of the old IJ dyke to the Spaarndamer IJ , a non-polded part of the old IJ bay. The Great Sluice ( Grote Sluis ) is located in Spaarndam for the important water connection via the Spaarne to Haarlem and the southern parts of the country . At the same time, important drainage of the polders of the Rijnland water association takes place via the Boezem Canal via a large pumping station ( Gemaal ), which can lift up to 38 m³ per second by 60 cm.
- Lateral canal D (north at km 12) leads over a kilometer to the Nauerna marina. The old Nauernasche Vaart drainage canal , which extends around 10 kilometers north to the Zaan, is connected with a lock .
- Lateral canal E (north at km 14) is a 500-meter-long discharge canal of the Overtoom pumping station in Westzaan-Süd, which can pump up to 3 m³ per second into the canal. A small lock creates the connection to the canals in and around Westzaan.
- Lateral canal F (south) was a drainage canal for the historical pumping station in Halfweg on the ring canal that surrounds the Haarlemmermeer polder . With the exception of a short remnant at the old pumping station, most of the canal was filled in during the construction of the port areas between the Africa port and the America port. A new canal leads the water to the new pumping station ( Boezemgemaal Halfweg ), which can pump 33 m³ per second into the American port . To the north of the historic pumping station, there are still three old locks from 1560 that have no function.
- Side canal G (north at km 16.5) extends together with the Voorzaan for around 2.5 kilometers to the dam of the Zaan in Zaandam . There are two locks there for the important connection of commercial shipping to North Holland. The pumping station of the Zaan ( Zaangemaal ) for draining the polders in the area of the Hollands Noorderkwartier water board is located between the two locks and can pump up to 25 m³ per second. The Zaanse Schans open-air museum with its many typical windmills is located around four kilometers north of Zaandam .
- Lateral canal H (north at km 17) leads west of the Noorder IJpolder , the last polder during the construction of the North Sea Canal, to the drainage pumping station on the Barndegat.
- Lateral canal I (north at km 21.5) branches off from the inland IJ and is not a dug canal, but a remnant of the IJ bay. With the canal, the shipyard at the Oustzaaner Overtoom gained access to the North Sea Canal. There are two side ports at the entrance of this side canal.
- Lateral canal K (north) lies at the end of the inland IJ and connects the port of Nieuwendam via a lock.
Another canal is the Schiethavenkanaal , which branches off north to Zaandam and is used industrially and is connected to the G side canal. Between the two side canals I and K, opposite Amsterdam Central Station, there is the entrance to the North Holland Canal - also known as the side canal J - with originally two locks. Only the larger Willem I Sluis is currently in operation. The last branch is the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal , which at the end of the canal at the Oranjeschleusen for inland vessels leads south and to Germany.
Drainage
The North Sea Canal is not only a shipping canal, but also serves to drain the surrounding and lower land areas. As a result, a total of 2 billion m³ of water enter the canal via the side channels every year. In addition, the excess water is directed from the locks into the canal with each lock operation. In particular, due to the constantly higher water levels in the Lek at the end of the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal, another 1 billion m³ of water enter the canal system.
A total of 3 billion m³ of water per year have to be removed from the sewer system so that the water level in the sewer can be kept at a level of NAP -0.40 meters. To discharge the excess water in the canal, a separate channel ( Spuikanaal ) with a sewer structure was built in IJmuiden between the Nordschleuse and the blast furnace port in the 1940s . Today the sewer has a maximum discharge capacity of 900 m³ per second. In order to increase the efficiency of the discharge, a pumping station ( Gemaal ) was added to the system in 1975 , which today has a maximum pumping capacity of 260 m³ per second. This makes it the largest pumping station in the Netherlands.
Another problem is the ingress of North Sea water, which enters the canal at high tide due to the lock processes in IJmuiden. Mixing it with salt water creates brackish water in the canal that cannot be used for any further use, as the salinisation of the canal harms nature, agriculture and horticulture as well as the drinking water supply near the North Sea Canal. To reduce the effects of the salinisation of the agriculturally used soils, water is taken from the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal and fed into these parts of the country through pumping stations.
Canal crossings
Bridges and tunnels were built and ferry services were set up to cross the canal route. All ferries can be used free of charge by people and cyclists. Because the tunnels can be used, fees have to be paid for motor vehicles on the ferries. The bridges over the locks in IJmuiden can be used free of charge. Truck traffic with dangerous goods is not allowed to pass the tunnels and has to approach a ferry or the bridge on the Outer IJ. After the demolition of the two railway bridges, there are no longer any bridges between IJmuiden and Amsterdam. Currently (2019) there are six road tunnels and three rail tunnels that run under the canal. The only fixed crossings that are open to cyclists are at either end of the canal.
bridges
- The IJmuiden lock bridges (km 0) cross all four locks. The connection was not created until 1954-1956 to relieve the ferry traffic. The south and small locks were initially given a shared Bailey bridge with a fixed and therefore limited headroom. This was later replaced by two swing bridges over the two lock entrances. The middle lock received double swing bridges on the upper and lower head and at the north lock, lanes were laid on both roller doors for traffic. During the construction of the new sea lock this connection is not available for vehicle traffic.
- The Velserspoorbrug (km 2.5) was the large swing bridge near Velsen for the railway line from Haarlem to Alkmaar. It was removed after the construction of the Velserspoortunnel in 1957.
- The Hembrug (km 15.5) was the swing bridge on the railway line from Amsterdam to Zaandam and Den Helder. It was removed after the Hem Tunnel was built in 1983.
- The Schellingwouder Bridge is a 2-lane road bridge that has been crossing the Outer IJ behind the Oranjeschleusen since 1957. Part of the bridge construction is designed as a bascule bridge to open up a shipping opening.
tunnel
- The Velserspoortunnel (km 4) is the replacement for the swing bridge. The 2-track railway line was moved further east and now runs through a 3,300 meter long tunnel. The construction took place between 1952 and 1957 at the same time as the road tunnel and the widening of the canal. The upper edge of the tunnel at NAP -16.38 m is decisive for the maximum possible depth of the North Sea Canal.
- The Velsertunnel (km 4) is located directly to the east next to the railway tunnel. The 1,664 meter long 4-lane road tunnel is part of today's A22 motorway .
- The Wijkertunnel (km 5) was built in 1993–1996 to relieve the Velser tunnel. The 4-lane motorway tunnel on the A9 motorway is 2,000 meters long.
- The Hemspoortunnel (km 15) is the 2,400 meter long replacement for the swing bridge. The tunnel, opened in 1983, has a third track because of the larger freight traffic.
- The Coentunnel West (km 17.5) has been the A10 motorway linking the city and port of Amsterdam with the northern industrial area of the Zaanstreek since 1966 . After the opening of the eastern tunnel and the renovation of the western tunnel, all four lanes will be used as a southbound carriageway.
- The Coentunnel East is the extension of the West tunnel in order to cope with the increased vehicle traffic on the Amsterdam ring road. The tunnel, which opened in 2013, is right next to the old tunnel and is the same length of 1280 meters. It consists of two tubes with 2 + 4 lanes. The western tube with 2 lanes, which is located directly next to the old tunnel, can be released alternately as a directional lane depending on the traffic situation.
- The IJtunnel (km 24) is a 4-lane road tunnel on the state road S116 with a length of 1,682 meters. East of the main train station, it replaces the overloaded ferry connection to the north of Amsterdam.
- The Zeeburger Tunnel is the eastern spur of the A10 motorway, which opened in 1990, under the Outer IJ, 946 meters long.
- The Amsterdam Metro Tunnel has been running under the Central Station and the inland IJ to the north since 2018, on the side of the North Holland Canal.
Ferries
Three ferry connections ( veerponten ) have been set up on the North Sea Canal , which operate the routes around the clock ( 24/7 ) and depart regularly. The operator is the Amsterdam City Transport Company (GVB Gemeentevervoersbedrijf). The ferries are larger than the ferries that operate in Amsterdam, as they also have to handle the heavy goods traffic that cannot pass through the tunnels. The transport of dangerous goods must also take place on these ferries.
- Velsen ferry ( Velserpont ): connects Velsen-Süd with Velsen-Nord (km 4)
- Ferry Buitenhuisen ( Buitenhuizenpont ): runs between Buitenhuizen and Nauerna (km 10)
- Hem ferry ( Hempont ): operates between the western port area of Amsterdam on Nieuwe Hemweg and the Hemkade in Zaandam (km 15)
Other GVB ferries cross the Inner IJ in the city of Amsterdam. The main landing stage is north of the Central Station (Amsterdam Centraal) on Ruijterkade , to bring pedestrians and cyclists to the northern parts of the city. Several ferry boats ensure a permanent connection (rush hour every 4 minutes), which is also maintained every 15 minutes at night. Since 2016, the IJ ferries with diesel drive have been successively replaced by new hybrid ferries with electric drive. The fourth hybrid ferry was put into service in 2019. With a length of 33.60 meters, these are larger than the old ones and can transport up to 310 people. Electric energy is currently generated by an efficient diesel engine with a generator to charge the batteries. This makes operation quieter and cleaner than with the old diesel engines, but not yet emission-free. The wish or goal of the city of Amsterdam and the GVB is complete zero emissions as soon as the appropriate technology is available.
literature
- Meyer's Large Conversation Lexicon . Volume 14, Leipzig 1908, page 776.
Trivia
- The Dutch writer Connie Braam wrote a historical novel about the work on the North Sea Canal, De Woede van Abraham (German: "The Wut Abrahams").
- From Den Helder to Sluis there is a “North Sea Cycle Route” route description online .
See also
Web links
- Map IJmuiden Site plan and port map IJmuiden (PDF)
- Website of the province of Noord-Holland (Dutch, English)
- Water levels in the Netherlands on rijkswaterstaat.nl (Dutch)
- April 29, 1930 - The world's largest lock opened in IJmuiden: Amsterdam's gateway to the North Sea , WDR- ZeitZeichen deadline .
- April 29, 1930 - Opening of the world's largest lock , WDR ZeitZeichen (audio podcast).
Individual evidence
- ↑ Description of the North Sea Canal on: Rijkswaterstaat.nl (Dutch)
- ↑ North Sea Canal on: wijkstra.net (Dutch)
- ↑ Maximum speeds in the North Sea Canal on portofamsterdam.com (Dutch)
- ↑ a b c Construction of the North Sea Canal on: theobakker.net (Dutch)
- ^ WDR - reference date April 29, 1930
- ↑ The opening of the North Sea Canal in: Oneindig Noord-Holland onh.nl
- ↑ a b G.J. Arends (2001): Locks and pumping stations on the North Sea Canal at: publicaties.minienm.nl (Dutch)
- ↑ Route information for the North Sea Canal on portofamsterdam.com (Dutch)
- ↑ Key figures for the North Sea Canal (2004) PDF on publicaties.minienm.nl (Dutch)
- ↑ Replacement of the IJmuiden lock gates (Dutch)
- ↑ KFW-Bank: Gate to Amsterdam on: kfw.de
- ↑ New sea lock IJmuiden on: baminfra.nl (Dutch)
- ↑ The New Sea Lock in July 2019 on portofamsterdam.com (Dutch)
- ↑ First gate arrived in IJmuiden on: rijkswaterstaat.nl (Dutch)
- ↑ Delay in the construction of the new lock on: rijkswaterstaat.nl (Dutch)
- ↑ https://nieuwsbladijmuiden.nl/lokaal/nieuwe-zeesluis-ijmuiden-4-594160
- ↑ TEN-T Network at Amsterdam on: ec.europa.eu (engl.)
- ↑ Flood protection IJmuiden on rijkswaterstaat.nl (Dutch)
- ↑ GVB neemt veerdiensten Noordzeekanaal over , www.gvb.nl; July 2013.
- ↑ New IJ ferry for Amsterdam on gvb.nl (Dutch)