New Harelbeke Lock Opens

The official inauguration of a new lock complex along the Lys river in Harelbeke, Belgium, took place last week, Jan De Nul said in their latest announcement. 

Image source: Jan De Nul

The Joint Venture ‘Leieland’, of which Jan De Nul Group is part, designed and built the new lock and dam in order to improve the connection over water between Paris and Antwerp.

“Thanks to a few large-scale infrastructure works in France, Wallonia and Flanders, inland vessels up to 4,500 tonnes can sail between Paris and Antwerp. These infrastructure works include the renovation of locks, dams and quay walls, the deepening of canals or digging of new ones, or the raising of bridges,” said Jan De Nul in its release.

Infrastructure works carried out by Leieland included:

  • Demolition of old infrastructure;
  • New lock (230m long, 12.5m wide x 4.70m water depth);
  • New weir (2 weir segments each 12.5m wide);
  • Pump station with turbines;
  • Fish ladder;
  • Quay walls (2km);
  • Dredging works;
  • Installation of new steel bridge bridge (80m and 1,000 tonnes), etc.