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.
Many structures will be created all along the Seine Nord Europe Canal in the Santerre – Haute-Somme area: 30 engineering structures including 25 road bridges, 2 canal bridges, 2 locks. In addition, hydraulic works (aqueducts and siphons) will be built to ensure the transparency of the Canal vis-à-vis the flow of water. One of them, in Moislains, will be fitted out to allow large fauna to cross the Canal.
Trois turning basins in Languevoisin-Quiquery (for the quays of Languevoisin and the port of Nesle), near the port of Péronne and in Moislains (for the grain quay) will allow barges to change direction of navigation.
La Louette water reservoir is a technical structure that will be used to maintain the water level of the Canal throughout the year. Located north of Péronne, this water reservoir with a capacity of 14 million cubic meters over an area of 65 hectares will be filled with water from the Oise when it is available in abundance to then allow the supply of the Canal during low water periods during which withdrawals from the river to supply the Canal will be reduced or even interrupted.
The Allaines junction lock, of the same gauge as those of the current Canal du Nord but about twice as high, will connect the Canal du Nord (and beyond the Somme valley) to the Canal Seine-Nord Europe. A marina will be installed on either side of this junction lock, while the Canal du Nord will be filled in as far as Etricourt-Manancourt. Finally, the Tortille will be restored to the right of this filled-in part of the Canal du Nord.
The lock of Allaines, open to the public and can be visited, will be located on the Seine-Nord Europe Canal, 1 km north of the junction lock. It will be 195 meters long and 12,5 meters wide with a drop of 13,10 meters.
For the maintenance of roads, the construction of 25 road crossings – bridges and tunnels – of the new waterway are necessary. The project also takes into account the restoration of the Amiens-Laon railway line and retains the possibility of bringing the closed Chaulnes-Péronne line back into service thanks to a passage created in the embankment of the Canal. These works, discussed with the actors of the territory, will make it possible to guarantee the continuity of circulations on both sides of the canal.
Emblematic work of the project, the Somme Canal Bridge will allow boats to cross the Somme valley at Cléry-sur-Somme while preserving the exceptional ecological richness of the sensitive natural area crossed. At 1,3 kilometers long, the Somme Canal Bridge will be the longest structure of this type in Europe.
The area will host two interior ports : that of Nesle, with an area of 86,7 hectares and connected to the Amiens-Laon railway line, and that of Peronne which will cover 43,4 hectares. Real strategic multimodal sites, these ports allow the unloading of goods and offer possibilities of establishment and transport services to the sectors of industry and logistics. They also represent a source of jobs that cannot be relocated and will provide innovative and sustainable solutions to distribution players as well as to the industrial and agricultural sectors of the territory.
A pleasure stopover will be carried out in Saint-Christ-Briost and a Marina is also planned in Allaines. These two infrastructures represent an opportunity for the development of river tourism for both private boaters and cruise passengers. They thus make it possible to enrich the overall tourist offer of the territory in addition to tourism of nature and memory.
In parallel with this equipment, a reflection is carried out with the local partners for the development ofcycle routes in order to reinforce the multimodal offer and the attractiveness of the territory.
Landscape and environmental integration du Canal will also be promoted to provide a quality living environment. As part of a logic of sustainable development, the project will enhance the local landscape for a “living” canal in the Somme, by reaffirming the presence of water and restoring woodlands and wet meadows. Nearly 5 hectares of hydraulic annexes will be built along the future Canal to promote biodiversity. Lagoon banks and fishing pontoons, some of which are for disabled fishing, will also be built. These facilities will then contribute to the development of tourist activities and the attractiveness of the territory.
The Tortille, a tributary of the Somme, represents a local environmental and cultural heritage that must be preserved. It extends from Allaines to the north of Étricourt-Manancourt, finding its original sources in the Ytres tablecloth. Highly artificialized with the arrival of the Canal du Nord, it will be completely rehabilitated and renatured. Its renaturation is a major ecological development of the Canal.
Finally, the work on the Seine-Nord Europe Canal represents a luck for the economy of the territory. In the construction phase, it is planned to mobilize around 6 jobs for the construction of the Canal, including around 000 who will be specially created, to which will be added many indirect jobs in the sectors of accommodation, catering , or transportation. The new economic activities developed thanks to the Canal, once completed, will also be sources of local employment.
The Seine-Nord Europe Canal Company then set up the Major project approach, an exceptional system aimed at supporting the completion of major infrastructure projects.
In Santerre – Haute-Somme, the Grand Chantier approach will result in the signing of a territorial development contract ahead of the works. These contracts translate the collective ambition and describe the organization and the role of each to make the site and, beyond the future Canal, an opportunity for Hauts-de-France.
Added September 5, 2022 - Updated July 13, 2023
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