Traffic is interrupted on the Moselle after a cargo ship hits the gates of a lock.
Navigation on the Moselle may be impossible until the end of March 2025, according to the Office of Waterways and Navigation (WSA) Moselle-Sarre-Lahn. At the start of this closure, a lock gate damaged this Sunday afternoon by a cargo ship.
In detail, this December 8, shortly after 1 p.m., this ship struck the gate of the Müden lock (German border state of Rhineland-Palatinate) even though it was not yet completely open. The freighter loaded with around 1,500 tonnes of scrap metal “almost did not brake,” says the WSA.
Although no one was injured in the accident, the damage to the structure was very significant. The two gate leaves were completely torn from their anchors and were severely deformed. All affected parts are no longer usable and must be completely replaced. A detailed assessment of the damage will take place in the coming days.
As for the cargo ship, it suffered damage in the bow area, above the waterline, on the hull. But no water entry has been reported.
As a result of this accident, 70 boats are currently blocked on the Moselle. They cannot leave the river, which crosses the Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate, towards the Rhine. For Luxembourg, no blockages have been reported at the moment. In contrast, traffic flows in one direction in Germany.
An investigation is underway to identify the circumstances of this accident.
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