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.
In Aubencheul-au-Bac, the completion of the area behind the quay, following preventive archaeological work, has allowed for adjustments to the work schedule. The excavated soil in front of the future quay, which was initially slated for removal, will now be stored on-site and reused in the coming years near the future Oisy-le-Verger lock.
This site adaptation eliminates the passage of trucks through the town, limiting the nuisance for residents of the RD14E/71 and reducing the carbon footprint of the operation.
Work resumed on November 3, 2025 and will continue until the beginning of 2026.
In Ytres, Sanef is continuing construction of the A2 viaduct that will span the Canal. The structure will measure 122 meters long and 26 meters wide. Following demolition and earthworks carried out during the summer of 2025, the construction site is now focused on civil engineering, with the construction of the foundations and the two abutments (supports located at the ends of a bridge, which retain the earth and support the bridge deck).
To maintain traffic flow during the works, a temporary 2x2 lane diversion has been in operation since April 2025, with a speed limit of 110 km/h in both directions. This configuration will remain in place for approximately two years to ensure continued traffic flow on the A2 during the construction of the viaduct, subject to weather conditions and unforeseen circumstances on the construction site.
To support the construction of the Seine-Nord Europe Canal, RTE (France's electricity transmission network operator) carried out work in the Marquion area to adapt its electrical grid. At this location, the position of two high-voltage lines coincided with that of the future Marquion-Bourlon lock. It was therefore necessary to lay 1,100 meters of underground cables to bypass the future lock's footprint. The two lines are now buried and energized.
Last May, a new 13-ton, nearly 30-meter-high overhead-to-underground pylon was installed near the A26 motorway to connect the Cambrai-Marquion line, which was energized in June. The second connecting pylon, where the underground cables emerge, has been operational since the spring. The pylons in between, now obsolete, were dismantled in the summer. The new installation now in place allows for the transmission of fiber optic cables in addition to electricity.
A similar operation took place in April 2025 on the other power line between Marquion and Prémy. Some pylons of the overhead lines were reinforced at their foundations.
Funded to the tune of nearly 4 million euros by the Société du Canal Seine-Nord Europe, this project also includes the installation of fiber optic cable.
Overhead and underground pylons connecting the high-voltage line between Cambrai and Marquion © RTE
