Zuid-Willemsvaart

The South Willemsvaart is a canal in the Netherlands and Belgium. It serves to shorten the route over part of the Meuse, namely between Belgium and the part of the river that forms the border between the Dutch provinces of North Brabant and Gelderland. It connects the cities of Maastricht and 's- Hertogenbosch.

Course

The channel got its start in the Dutch province of Limburg in Maastricht. Then he runs through the Belgian province of Limburg and reaches south of the community again Weert Dutch base area in the Dutch province of Limburg. The last section of the channel through the province of North Brabant. In Bocholt he takes on the Kempen channel.

The length of the channel is about 123 km. It runs from Maastricht coming through the territory of the Belgian cities and towns Smeermaas, Lanaken, Maasmechelen, Dilsen- Stokkem, Maaseik and Bree and Bocholt and of Weert, Helmond, Beek en Donk, Veghel, Bernheze and Sint- Michielsgestel in the Netherlands.

History

In the course of military considerations, already Emperor Napoleon decided to improve the transport of water in the Netherlands and Belgium. Even before the construction of the South Willemsvaart was a water connection between Maastricht and 's- Hertogenbosch, namely over the Meuse. However, this runs south of Nijmegen in a wide curve. Besides, she was only five months passable year and had several shoals, where navigation was impossible.

1822 decided King William I of the Netherlands, which included at that time what is now Belgium to let build a canal between Maastricht and 's- Hertogenbosch, which was given the name Willemsvaart. But later on a channel with the name Willemsvaart (now Noord- Willems ) was applied in the province of Drenthe, you added the word Zuid (South) to the name. With the construction of the canal was begun in 1823; three years later the canal was completed.

During its 123 km long run of duct overcome a height difference of 40 meters. For this purpose, 21 locks were created. The cost for the construction of the canal that was dug without major technical tools by hand, amounted to 4.45 million guilders.

The portion of the channel that was in the center of Maastricht and south of it, was filled in during the course of the construction of the Maas Boulevard in the sixties of the 19th century. Since then, the beginning of the channel is located north of the city center of Maastricht.

Projects

The South Willemsvaart between the Meuse and Veghel was included as a part of the main inland waterway network in the National Traffic and Transport Plan ( NVVP ). This means that the channel for barges of class IV (up to 1350 tons ) must be liable. Currently, the South Willemsvaart runs from Den Dungen through the center of 's- Hertogenbosch, to then flow into the River Meuse. The channel is on this stretch II ( up to 600 tons ) Only suitable for inland waterway vessels of the class and thus restricted passable.

As of 2007, a start was made to fix this bottleneck by creating a new branch at Den Dungen should be dug. The new course is planned along the A2 motorway between 's- Hertogenbosch Rosmalen and towards the Meuse. However, this does not mean that the South Willemsvaart will disappear from the cityscape ' s Hertogenboschs. The old course remains, but is no longer used for commercial inland navigation. Together with the widening of the A2 motorway to be completed in 2014, the works.