Gleesen-Papenburg side canal
The Gleesen-Papenburg side canal (SGP) in the state of Lower Saxony was planned as the new route of the Dortmund-Ems Canal from km 138.3 to km 225.82. This should reduce the number of locks. The construction project was abandoned with the beginning of the Second World War . However, if the economic situation requires it, the canal will be completed.
planning
The plan provided for a junction at km 138.3 above the Gleesen lock in order to run a new route parallel to the Dortmund-Ems Canal . To the east of today's Emsland nuclear power plant and the town of Lingen , there is a section of the canal, which has already been partly begun, which is popularly known as the “Hitler Canal” or the “Ems Side Canal”. The canal would take the further course between Laxten and the residential area Gauerbach, run through Brögbern and from Osterbrock parallel to DEK. Meppen would circle east. In the outskirts of Meppen, the bridge driveways of that time are still raised today. You can clearly see them at Helter Damm (Feldkamp construction area) and at the beginning of the Schlagbrücker Weg. To the west of the Bundeswehr Technical Center for Weapons and Ammunition 91 ( WTD 91 ), another section of the route has been partially completed. At the level of the village of Hemsen , this is partially filled with water. Between Emmeln and Tinnen , he runs towards the Transrapid test track , where another section is partially completed. Running alongside the Transrapid track, the partially completed section leads towards Papenburg . At Dörpen the coastal canal crosses the partially finished bed, of which 890 m from the coastal canal to the south as the “Dörpen branch canal” currently belong to the coastal canal. The route meanders between Aschendorf and Papenburg towards the Ems , roughly where the port of Meyer Werft is today (km 225.82 DEK). Planning began in 1936 and construction in 1938. In 1942, construction came to a standstill, as it was not classified as essential to the war effort. After the end of the war, construction was not continued.
In some cases, there are newer structures on the route of the canal today, which would be demolished if the construction work were to continue, which the building owners had to sign beforehand.
Current condition
The route of the Gleesen-Papenburg side canal belongs to around 80% of the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration ( Meppen Waterways and Shipping Office ). This means that further construction would be possible at any time. Since the 100th anniversary of the Dortmund-Ems Canal in 1999, the voices have been getting louder to include the canal in the next federal transport infrastructure plan . The costs would be put into perspective, since the stretch of the Dortmund-Ems Canal needs to be improved and the benefits for the region from the construction would be very high. This project would eliminate six locks and save six hours of travel time on the route section. Since the end of 2008, the discussion about a possible expansion has become more explosive. In a feasibility study by the state of Lower Saxony, the construction of an "Ems canal" from Papenburg to behind Leer was to be examined. This canal should serve to transfer the cruise ships built at the Meyer shipyard to the North Sea. In the course of building a new canal, the Gleesen-Papenburg side canal from Papenburg to Dörpen was also to be expanded. However, this became obsolete due to the Ems 2050 master plan . Today the canal is particularly popular with anglers, as the sections at the level of the Transrapid test facility in Emsland are interrupted every 1000 m, creating artificial ponds rich in fish.
literature
- Martin Eckoldt (Hrsg.): Rivers and canals: The history of the German waterways . DSV-Verlag, Hamburg 1998, ISBN 978-3-88412-243-3
Web links
Coordinates: 52 ° 50 ′ 20 ″ N , 7 ° 20 ′ 11 ″ E