A freight ship bound for the port of Mertert hit a lock gate on the Moselle, paralyzing traffic on the river for months. Repairs to the lock are expected to last until the end of March.
Until then, no boat will be able to pass the Moselle from Luxembourg and Trier to Koblenz. According to the German Waterways and Shipping Office (WSA), 70 boats are currently stationary on the Moselle due to the closure and cannot leave Luxembourg, Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate via the Moselle towards the Rhine.
On Sunday, the freight ship apparently crashed into a lock gate near Müden (Germany) without braking. The lock gate was moving, but not yet fully open. Following the accident on Sunday afternoon, the two door leaves were torn from their anchorage.
According to the WSA, both parts must be completely replaced. This work will not be completed before the end of March 2025. The boat, which was transporting scrap metal for the port of Mertert, was also damaged during the impact. According to the police, no one was injured, but hydraulic fluid flowed into the Moselle.
This article was originally published on the website of Luxembourg word.
Adaptation: Thomas Berthol
