From this October, a section of the Juliana Canal in Limburg, stretching between Berg aan de Maas and Born, will be dried up for the following six-month. In order for repair works to be carried out.
This 2.5 mile stretch has caused outrage among skippers, as the alternative route takes two days, with an estimated additional expenses of 4 million euros per day.
The detour directs ships via the lock at Limmel, Maastricht, and through Antwerp, where renovations are also underway. Belgian authorities suggest a circumnavigation route via the Juliana Canal.
The canal serves as a vital shipping route connecting ports in the Netherlands, Belgium, and France, with ongoing efforts by Rijkswaterstaat since 2022 to deepen and expand it.
However, the cofferdam, initially constructed for this purpose and recently repaired, must now be removed due to leakage. Previously, nearly eight accidents happened close to the cofferdam.
