Ship canal of Brussels to the Scheldt

The Ship canal of Brussels to the Scheldt, also named Channel of Willebroek , is the new name for the Ship canal Brussels-Rupel , since the creation of a direct connection with the the Scheldt in 1997.

The channel is one of the oldest navigable channels in Belgium, even of Europe. Work began in 1550 and lasted until in 1561.

However, an authorization to build the channel was already granted by Philippe the Good in 1436. But under the Malignant protests of the town of , only authorized with raising taxation of all transport passing by the Seine, the project was blocked during very a long time.

In 1531 Charles Quint will renew the authorization of Philippe the Good, but work will not start immediately for as much. It is only into 1550 that Marie of Hungary will give the agreement to start construction. June 16th, 1550 the burgomaster of Brussels, Jean de Locquenghien gives the first blow of shovel.

The 28 km long channel, a width of 30 m and a Draft of 2 m, connects Brussels and Willebroek, where it emerges in the Rupel in the hamlet of Klein-Willebroek. The difference in altitude of 14 m between Brussels and Rupel are repurchased by 4 locks. Thanks to the startup of the channel, the ships could henceforth avoid navigation on the capricious Seine, and the raised Malines taxes.

Very quickly several basins were built in the middle same of the town of Brussels (basin St Catherine), they all will be embanked at the end of the 19th century but are still recognizable today thanks to the names of the streets. The course of the channel in Brussels was modified to connect it to the Canal Brussels-Charleroi open in 1832, thus creating a direct connection between the Port of Antwerp and the industrial basin of Charleroi.

In 1922 an entirely modernized channel was opened with navigation. From now on the channel emerged in Rupel by a news lock with Wintham. The locks of Vilvorde and Humbeek were replaced by the lock of Kapelle-COp-den-Boss. A new modernization is started in 1965, the channel will be extended to 55 m (25 m for the locks) and the adapted draft. The construction of two new locks (205×25 m) with Zemst (open in 1975) and Hingene (open in 1997) made it possible to emerge directly in the Scheldt. The Port of Brussels is now accessible to the ships from 4500 tons and the convoys thorough from 9000 tons.

The channel is of an major importance for the supply oil of Brussels, which represents half of the traffic more or less. In 1974 the annual traffic culminates to 14 million tons. After a relapse, transported volume increases these last years again. With 7 million tons transported by the channel, the Wearing of Brussels is the second inner harbor of the country after Liege.

Following the regionalization of Belgium, the management of the channel is not any more with the hands of the " SA Maritime" (company established in 1896) but passed under the supervision of the Wearing of Brussels for the part on the territory of the Région of Brussels-Capital and the Waterwegen in Zeekanaal NV for the part in Flemish Région.

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