Work begins on Seine-Nord Europe Canal

The new canal will decrease congestion on the European waterway and reduce logistics costs, according to officials.    Engineering and consulting firms Setec and Royal HaskoningDHV have won a 12-year contract from Voies navigables de France, the French navigable waterways authority, to construct the Seine-Nord Europe Canal.
   The new canal will give access to the Belgian and Dutch inland waterways by connecting the basin of the Seine near Paris to the Scheldt, near Lille, Royal HaskoningDHV said in a statement.
   Work on the Seine-Nord Europe Canal began this month. The canal is expected to open in 2025 and be fully operational by 2027.
   Benefits of the canal include a decrease in congestion on the European waterway and the reduction of logistics costs. The Seine-Nord Europe Canal will also provide links with six seaports to offer an additional method of transporting freight with access to large urban areas. The canal will have the ability to handle vessels up to 4,400 dwt tons.
   The Seine-Nord Europe Canal will be 107 kilometers long, 54 meters wide and 4.5 meters deep. It will include six locks and three channel bridges.