- Marne–Rhine Canal
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The Marne-Rhine Canal at Niderviller, Moselle Specifications Canal length: 313 km (194 mi) [1] Original locks: 178 [2] Current locks: 154 [1] History Construction began: 1838 [3] Date completed: 1853 [3] Geography Starts at: Marne in Vitry-le-François [1] Ends at: Rhine in Strasbourg [1] Ending coordinates: 48°35′N 7°47′E / 48.583°N 7.783°E Connects to: Rhine, Marne, Meuse River, Moselle River, Canal des houillères de la Sarre The Marne-Rhine Canal (French: Canal de la Marne au Rhin) is a canal in north eastern France. It connects the river Marne in Vitry-le-François with the Rhine in Strasbourg. Combined with the canalised part of the Marne, it allows transport between Paris and eastern France. The original objective of the canal was to connect Paris and the north of France with the Alsace, the Rhine, and Germany. [3]
The 313 km (194 mi) long canal was opened in 1853. The canal is suited for small ships (péniches), maximum size 38.5 m long and 5.05 m wide. It has 154 locks, including two in the Moselle River. There are four tunnels. The Saint-Louis-Arzviller inclined plane is located between Arzviller and Saint-Louis and its construction replaced some 17 locks. [3]
The Marne-Rhine Canal is connected with the following navigable waterways (from west to east):
- Marne in Vitry-le-François
- Meuse/Canal de l'Est in Sorcy near Commercy [3]
- Moselle/Canal de l'Est in Toul [3]
- Moselle in Frouard [3]
- Embranchement de Nancy in Laneuveville-devant-Nancy[3]
- Canal des houillères de la Sarre in Gondrexange [3]
- Ill in Strasbourg [3]
- Rhine in Strasbourg
Its course crosses the following départements and towns:
- Marne: Vitry-le-François
- Meuse: Bar-le-Duc, Ligny-en-Barrois, Void-Vacon
- Meurthe-et-Moselle: Toul, Nancy
- Moselle: Gondrexange, Sarrebourg
- Bas-Rhin: Saverne, Strasbourg
The Voies Navigables France Itinéraires Fluviaux breaks the canal into eastern and western sections. The western sections goes from Vitry-le-François to Toul over 131.4 km (81.6 mi) via 97 locks. The eastern section goes from Frouard to Strasbourg over 159 km (99 mi) via 57 locks. [4] The 23.4 km (14.5 mi) section between Toul and Frouard is closed and a canalized section of the Moselle River is used. [3].
The Through the French Canals book breaks the canal into eastern and western sections, but with a different separation point. The western sections goes from Vitry-le-François to Réchicourt over 222 km (138 mi) via 121 locks. The eastern section goes from Réchicourt to Strasbourg over 91 km (57 mi) via 33 locks. [1]
See also
En Route
- PK 0 Vitry-le-François
- PK 47 Bar-le-Duc
- PK 62 Ligny-en-Barrois
- PK 86.5 Mauvages tunnel
- PK 111 junction with Canal de la Meuse
- PK 130 Toul
- PK 131.5 junction with Moselle
- PK 164 Nancy
- PK 178 Dombasle
- PK 222 Réchicourt
- PK 259 Lutzelbourg
- PK 269 Saverne
- PK 286 Hochfelden
- PK 307 Souffelweyersheim
- PK 313 Strasbourg
References
- ^ a b c d e Jefferson, David (2009). Through the French Canals. Adlard Coles Nautical. pp. 275. ISBN 978-1-4081-0381-4.
- ^ Uhlemann, Hans-Joachim (2002). Canal lifts and inclines of the world (English Translation ed.). Internat. ISBN 0-9543-1811-0.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k McKnight, Hugh (2005). Cruising French Waterways, 4th Edition. Sheridan House. ISBN 8124-0152-1.
- ^ Voies Navigables France Itinéraires Fluviaux. Editions de l'Écluse. 2009. ISBN 9782952059121.
Categories:- Canals in France
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