Taipale Canal
The Taipale Canal is a 500 m long canal in the area of the Finnish city of Varkaus , which connects the lakes Unnukka and Haukivesi .
At the beginning of the 19th century, the rapids near Varkaus still obstructed the waterway towards Kuopio in the north and Saimaa in the south.
As early as 1822, it was proposed to straighten the rapids. It was not until 1831 that the canal builder Fredrik Hällström made suggestions for building a canal. Construction was decided in 1834 and started in 1835. The inauguration took place in July 1840. At that time the canal was about 14 meters wide and allowed a draft of about 1.8 m. It had two locks each 36 m long. The difference in height was 4.5 m.
At the latest after the Saimaa Canal was completed in 1856, it soon became clear that the Taipale Canal was too small. In 1865 it was decided to Taipalekanal and the northern Konnuskanal deepen. Construction work began in 1867. The first boats sailed the canal in September. The 564 m long canal was now equipped with two locks 50.5 m long and 17.8 m wide and a 134 m long side basin.
In the years 1962 to 1967 the canal was changed again. In this context, the course was relocated to the west, so that the original canal remained as a museum harbor.
The canal is part of the 4.35 m deep fairway that leads from Savonlinna via Kuopio to Siilinjärvi . The clearance height of the lifting bridges is 4.5 m. The height difference of the lock is 4–6 m. The maximum size of the ships that can pass the canal is 160 m long × 12.2 m wide × 4.35 m deep × 24.5 m high.
The expansion of the waterways significantly favored the economic development of the northern regions in the Savo and u. a. the cities of Kuopio and Iisalmi .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Pekka Toivanen: Kuopion Historia , 2, Kuopio 2000
- ↑ yachtcharter.fi (PDF)
Coordinates: 62 ° 18 ′ 11 ″ N , 27 ° 54 ′ 36 ″ E