The opening of the new Ampsin-Neuville lock is fast approaching

Work began in 2018 and replaced the old lock of 55 x 7.5 m with a new lock of 225 x 12.5 m, the equivalent of 225 20-ton trucks. In a second phase, the 136 x 16 m lock will be replaced by a 225 x 25 m lock, which will allow the passage of 450 20-tonne trucks. The completion of this second lock is planned for the end of 2023.

The testing phase of the first section will last about two months and will allow to verify the proper functioning of the system through a hundred consecutive trouble-free test cycles. The official opening is scheduled for January 2022.

For this project, Tractebel expertise in locks (over ten years) was recognized by the Walloon Public Service and associated with that of Bureau Greisch. Our experts are responsible for the design of the lock gates, the operating mechanisms, the electricity and the control of the entire lock site, as well as for the follow-up of these electromechanical works. To this end, several Tractebel departments are working on the project and combining their expertise.

The refurbishment of the lock site is intended not only to improve shipping routes and the passage of goods, but also to improve the living environment of users, cyclists and pedestrians. Indeed, the N90 will be made safe and its route will be adapted to make the site wide, the pedestrian bridge linking the municipalities of Amay and Huy will be replaced and extended to cross the national highway, the left bank will be landscaped to give it a more natural character, and finally, a new fish ladder will allow the various species to cross the dam and some of them to reproduce.