After an accident at the Müden lock at the beginning of December, all the stranded boats passed through the emergency lock. On Friday morning, the last freight ship loaded with steel sheet piles was urgently locked, said Ulrich Zwinge of the Waterways and Shipping Office (WSA) Moselle-Saar-Lahn. “It’s all over.”
In total, there were 78 lockages of 72 boats, he said. Some were divided into two locks. But the lock workers have not finished working. “We are already installing the emergency valves,” said Ulrich Zwinge.
The Müden lock was seriously damaged in a cargo ship collision on December 8. Since then, navigation on the Moselle has been paralyzed. The emergency lockages of the more than 70 boats took place much faster than expected.
Preparations for the restoration will now begin, continued Ulrich Zwinge. This involves, in particular, reorganizing the site and drying the damaged lock chamber. “The actual work will take place in the new year,” he said.
At the end of January, a new lock gate should be installed. It is currently being prepared in a shipyard in Trier and will then be transported by ship to Müden. The lock is scheduled to return to regular service on February 1.
This is significantly earlier than expected: Previously, experts had estimated that renovation work on the lock could last until the end of March 2025. This had sparked strong criticism from companies that depend on the waterway international that is the Moselle.
This article was originally published on Luxemburger Wort.
Adaptation: Lorène Paul
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