Discover the commitments behind the Canal
Find here the structural commitments of the Société du Canal Seine-Nord Europe and the project partners.
Discover the commitments behind the Canal
Find here the structural commitments of the Société du Canal Seine-Nord Europe and the project partners.
To facilitate the supply of materials to the construction site by waterway, and thus limit truck traffic, the construction of the Seine-Nord Europe Canal relies on the existing navigable infrastructure of the Canal du Nord. Therefore, the Seine-Nord Europe Canal Company will develop several quays dedicated to the future canal's construction work, located near the Canal du Nord.
In Santerre Haute-Somme, the first of these will be built in Allaines. This one will be able to serve in particular the construction site of the Canal and those of the various works built on and around the route : the Louette water reserve, the road restorations, the Allaines lock and the junction lock with the Canal du Nord.
The construction quay will be 100 meters long . It is designed to accommodate Freycinet-type barges (38,5 m) and double Freycinet barges (77 meters), the most common on the Canal du Nord, as well as some convoys that can reach nearly 90 meters in length, the maximum size of the current canal's locks. Adjacent to the quay, a 100-meter by 30-meter platform will be built. With a storage capacity of 8,000 tons , it will allow for the loading and unloading of construction materials.
Earthworks are planned along the banks of the Canal du Nord and the buffer platform. Some of the work will need to be carried out in dry conditions. Therefore, the water level of the Canal du Nord will be lowered and a cofferdam ( an inclined wall used to keep the canal bank dry, see illustration below ) will be installed for the duration of the works.
Construction of the quay is scheduled between June and December 2023. The main riverside portion of the quay's construction will take place during the closure of the Canal du Nord, scheduled by Voies navigables de France (the French Waterways Authority), from September 15 to October 16, 2023, to carry out necessary maintenance work on the canal. Therefore, there will be no disruption to navigation. This closure period will allow for the installation of the cofferdams.
The works quay will then be in service throughout the works between 2024 and 2030.
Map of the Allaines works dock
