Overview of impressive lock projects in Wallonia

Lock site of Ampsin-Neuville

The project foresees the construction of a high-gauge lock site (two locks), which will improve navigation and reduce the environmental impact of transport. It will also significantly enrich the living environment of users and create spaces dedicated to cyclists, pedestrians, walkers and fishermen.

Tractebel, in consortium with the GREISCH office, is responsible for the design and execution monitoring of the lock gates. These gates are scheduled to be put into service in October 2021 for lock 1 and in October 2022 for lock 2. Tractebel is also involved (second consortium with bureau GREISCH) in the purely electromechanical lot (mechanical installations, low voltage electricity, control and command). The assembly teams have started their work and the Tractebel teams are also in charge of the follow-up of the execution of these works. The whole project should be completed by the end of 2023.

4 locks project

The locks of Obourg, Viesville, Gosselies, and Marchienne-au-Pont, correspond to the 4 locks needing to be brought up to standard on the Charleroi-Brussels (CCB) and Central canals (CC), both located in the Hainaut region. The site is located on one of the major European navigation axes with the objective of developing river transport.

As the contractor for the electromechanical lot, Tractebel is finalizing the preliminary design studies for the construction of the 4 new locks. Three new locks on the Charleroi-Brussels canal (sites of Viesville, Marchienne-au-Pont and Gosselies) for which Tractebel has completed the renovation of the existing locks, and a new lock on the central canal at Obourg next to the existing lock which will also be renovated in the framework of the same project.

These 4 new structures will allow ships to increase the transport capacity on these waterways. The works are carried out by Tractebel's nuclear, urban and energy experts in order to provide all our skills to the best of our ability to serve the Walloon public service (SPW).

Tractebel’s experts involved in these projects are Alain KRINS, Marc RYNDERS, Guillaume VANHENDEN, Joachim DE PAUW, George SWERTVAEGHER, Laurent BOST, Martin LIMPENS, and Stéphane VAN OVERSTRAETEN.