Learn more about the Seine-Nord Europe Canal
What is the Seine-Nord Europe Canal? What are its objectives and its ambition at the heart of the Region, France and Europe?
Discover the commitments behind the Canal
Find here the structural commitments of the Société du Canal Seine-Nord Europe and the project partners.
The Canal at home
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The construction site has started in the Oise! Consult the Calendar section of the website, and go to the page of your territory to have more precise information closer to you. You can subscribe to news from your area and stay informed of news from the site.
All the information concerning the project and its financing can be found in the section L'essentiel du Canal.
The Canal lateral à l'Oise (CLO), owned by the State and managed by Voies Navigables de France (VNF), will remain open and in service throughout the duration of the CSNE works. It will ensure the maintenance of river navigation and contribute to the supply and evacuation of worksites by river.
As part of the works, the upstream reach of the CLO that follows the route of the Canal between Ribécourt-Dreslincourt and Passel, will be adapted, in width and depth, to correspond to the characteristics of a wide-gauge canal.
When the CSNE comes into service, the Oise side canal will remain passable on its downstream reach between Janville and Cambronne-lès-Ribécourt during the running-in phase of the new route.
It could then be redeveloped between the Janville lock and the Bellerive lock. To find out the intentions of the territory, VNF has started a consultation on the future of the existing canals with the communities. Several options are possible: partially or totally fill the canal while maintaining the hydraulic functions, make it shallower or narrower, maintain only a water mirror, etc. The municipalities position themselves on the scenarios that best meet their respective expectations.
The same logic guides the consultation also carried out on all the communes of Noyonnais crossed by the Canal du Nord.
No, a construction site is a dangerous area, you are not allowed to enter it. On the Seine-Nord Europe Canal worksites, there are:
Find the section on Security
Sector 1 of the CSNE, which fits into the Oise valley between Compiègne and Passel, has the particularity of being autonomous for its water supply, while sectors 2, 3 and 4 are interdependent. This also makes the construction site autonomous. Work was therefore able to begin in mid-2021 on this sector, which will be open to navigation first. Sector 1 is also "functionally" autonomous, that is to say that it already brings advantages for river navigation: the boats will be able to navigate faster and will then only have one only one lock to pass, compared to two at present – which represents a saving in navigation time of almost an hour and a half (including 30 minutes by reducing the time it takes to enter the lock).
Have you seen these yellow, green or red nets near the Canal construction sites? They serve to delimit the different types of spaces which must be preserved or be the subject of particular treatment. The red nets surround invasive alien species (EEA) whose cutting, if necessary, follows a protocol that helps prevent their spread. The yellow nets demarcate fragile wetlands, and green fillets, protected natural areas, for fauna or flora.
Why do the roads near construction sites need to be cleaned?
- Works companies plan to regularly circulate a sweeper on construction sites to clean the roads after the passage of trucks. This regular cleaning of the roadway ensures the safety of road users, which is a priority for the SCSNE.
How are the roads cleaned?
- The water used by these sweepers must not contain too much suspended matter (sediment) to avoid, in particular, the clogging of the sweeper nozzles and to ensure its cleaning mission.
- As far as possible and as a matter of priority, the water used is non-potable water. For example, companies can take advantage of artificial ponds on the construction site, which accumulate runoff (rainwater). Over time, the water settles enough to allow impurities to settle to the bottom of the water. This allows companies to use the water from these basins.
- In the absence of a non-potable resource, companies have to use water from the urban network to avoid creating water withdrawal points. Drinking water catchments are carried out under supervised safety conditions and with the authorization of the network manager (SAUR).
Could we use water from the Canal Latéral à l'Oise instead?
- The answer is no, mainly for security reasons.
- Canal water contains a percentage of silt. This mud would settle on the roads, and after a few passages, the roadway would become slippery.
Concerning more the initial filling of the canal and the Louette water reserve, this will take place over a period which will include two winters.
The initial filling of the Seine-Nord Europe Canal (21,5 million m3) will take between 3 and 4 months depending on the hydrology of the Oise. For an exceptional year like 1976, the filling would extend over a period of 7 months.
Filling the Louette water reserve (14 million m3) will take about 4 months. For an exceptional year like 1976, it would rather take 5 and a half months.
The criteria for sizing the water supply plan are presented in detail in the environmental authorization file for the canal sectors between Noyon and Aubencheul-au-Bac. This file was submitted to a public inquiry in early 2024.
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