Canal de l'Oise à l'Aisne

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Canal de l'Oise à l'Aisne
Lock at Chavignon

Lock at Chavignon

Water code FRH02-2202 , FRH1452202
location France , Hauts-de-France region
length 48 km
Built 1823-1831
class I ( Freycinet class )
Beginning Branch from the Canal latéral à l'Oise at Abbécourt
The End It flows into the Canal latéral à l'Aisne at Bourg-et-Comin
Descent structures 13
Used river Ailette
Outstanding structures Canal tunnel at Braye-en-Laonnois
Canal chemindesdames.jpg
Entrance to the canal tunnel
Course of the eastern section of the canal

The Canal de l'Oise à l'Aisne ( German: Oise-Aisne Canal ) is a French shipping canal that runs in the Aisne department in the Hauts-de-France region .

geography

The canal connects the valleys of the Oise and Aisne rivers and is part of an inland waterway that connects the Mediterranean to north-west France and Belgium via the Rhone and Saône . This route consists of the following waterways:

Course and technical infrastructure

The Canal de l'Oise à l'Aisne begins at Abbécourt , where it connects to the Canal latéral à l'Oise ( German: Oise-Seitenkanal ). It is a canal of the watershed type . His apex position crosses the Chemin des Dames ridge in a 2.3 kilometer long tunnel near Braye-en-Laonnois . After a total of 48 kilometers, the canal at Bourg-et-Comin is led over the Aisne with a trough bridge and connected to the Canal latéral à l'Aisne ( German: Aisne-Seitenkanal ). The difference in altitude to the Oise valley is 21 meters and is overcome by nine locks , while that to the Aisne valley is twelve meters and requires four locks. A reservoir was built near Monampteuil to supply the canal with water . In addition, the canal runs parallel to the Ailette river , from which water is also drawn, from the apex position towards Oise . A pumping station in Bourg-et-Comin provides the water supply for the section of the canal towards the Aisne.

Coordinates

Places on the canal

history

In 1890 the canal was opened with the tunnel underpass. During the 10-year construction work, 17 workers were killed in a gas explosion. In 1914, 8,000 ships were already using the waterway.

During the First World War , the impregnable mountain range "Chemin des Dames" was one of the most fiercely contested positions. The canal was severely damaged during these fighting, and part of the tunnel had collapsed.

After the end of the war, the canal was rebuilt and, on this occasion, adapted to the new conditions and modernized. For example, a ventilation system was installed in the tunnel so that instead of the previous electric tractor unit, the ships could pass through the tunnel with their own motor power. The Bourg-et-Comin canal bridge was also rebuilt from metal and, thanks to its greater width, allowed two-way traffic to cross the Aisne.

Source: Guide de la Navigation Intérieure, Berger-Levrault / ONN, Paris, 1965

Economical meaning

Freight shipping has gradually lost its importance. Nevertheless, the waterway is still used more frequently by cargo ships today.

Web links

Commons : Canal de l'Oise à l'Aisne  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

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

  1. a b The information on the length of the canal is based on the information about the Canal de l'Oise à l'Aisne (ascent to vertex posture) at SANDRE (French) and the Canal de l'Oise à l'Aisne (descent from vertex posture) at SANDRE (French), accessed on December 11, 2011, rounded to full kilometers.

See also