2009-BE-90200-S

Study of the navigability of the "Upper-Seascheldt" and the "Southern Ghent Ring Canal" for class Va motor vessels (1,500-3,000 tons)

Priority Project 30 (Seine-Scheldt) aims at improving the link between the Seine and Scheldt rivers to allow class Va vessels to complete the route between Paris and Ghent.

The main objectives of the Action is the completion of an exploratory study, which will provide a better understanding of the possibility and of the effects of upgrading the Upper-Seascheldt and the Southern Ghent Ring Canal to a class Va waterway.

The study will investigate which bottlenecks prevent this waterway from allowing class Va vessels to navigate it and how these bottlenecks can be resolved.

The Action will be divided into different phases:

• Bathymetric measurements
• Inventory of the current nautical situation and analysis of the bottlenecks
• Feasibility study and proposal of possible alternatives
• Selection of optimum alternative by means of socio-economic cost-benefit analysis
• Study of some specific projects to solve nautical bottlenecks (design phase, pilot projects);
• Study of the navigability and the effects on the Upper-Seascheldt between Melle and Gentbrugge

Specific attention will be given to the environmental impacts. Future River Information Services will also be taken in to account in order to anticipate future evolutions.

This project has been completed.

Download the Info Sheet about this project:

 .pdf (382 KB)

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Member States involved:

Belgium

Implementation schedule:

Start date: December 2009

End date: December 2011

Beneficiary:

 Vlaamse Overheid

Implementing body:

 Waterwegen en Zeekanaal NV

Additional information:

 Coordinator’s Report of the Priority Project

 European Commission, DG MOVE