Europe Begins Construction of Largest Canal in Decades
France boasts the largest network of navigable waterways in Europe, spanning approximately 8,500 kilometers. However, it has been poorly connected to northern European transport corridors.
The Canal du Nord has long been the main route linking northern France to the Seine basin. Its construction took over 50 years and was completed in 1965, but by then it had already become outdated.
The new project, the Seine-Nord Europe Canal, represents a completely new transport system.
Main features of the project include:
- Length — 107 kilometers;
- Width — 54 meters;
- Vessel capacity more than seven times higher than that of the Canal du Nord;
- Cost — €7.3 billion.
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Half of the funding comes from the European Union, with the remainder from the French government and regional authorities.
The new canal will be a key element of the Seine-Escaut project, linking French waterways with Belgium's transport system and further into Northern Europe. This will create a comprehensive network of major shipping routes between France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany, becoming part of the trans-European transport network TEN-T.
The canal will be equipped with a complex system of locks, with seven in total. Two of these will be the deepest in European history, featuring a height difference of over 25 meters.
The scale of the project extends beyond the canal itself. Along its route, 62 road and rail crossings, dozens of new bridges, and the largest navigable aqueduct in Europe will need to be constructed.
The most impressive structure will be the Pont-Canal de la Somme, a true canal bridge measuring 1.3 kilometers in length. Instead of passing under roads and railways, the canal will cross over them. Upon completion, this structure will become the longest canal viaduct in Europe.
The official goal is to complete construction by 2032, providing France with full access to the largest network of inland waterways in Northern Europe.
