Raising of the bridges on the Albert Canal _ Lanaye bridge

The Albert Canal is the most important waterway in Belgium and Wallonia. Flanders is carrying out work to remove bottlenecks and modernise the network. Flanders proceeds with the widening of the canal between Antwerp and Wijnegem and the raising of around thirty bridges between Antwerp and Wallonia to ensure a clearance height of 9.10 metres. This will allow vessels to carry four layers of containers instead of three.

This project is a continuation of this connection between the Walloon hinterland and Antwerp with the same gauge. This specifically concerns the developments at the Lanaye bridge, but similar studies are being carried out by the same project author for the Hermalle-sous-Argenteau, Lixhe and Haccourt bridges.

Based on the topographical survey carried out and the observation that there was already a relatively wide section of the canal in which the desired clearance was available (52 m), the solution adopted was not to make any structural changes to the structure in order to fully free up the clearance across the width of the canal, but rather to regulate the passage of boats at the point where the channel already had the required clearance, using dynamic signalling.

The project also includes making the structure safer for pedestrians and cyclists. Taking advantage of the resurfacing of the structure, a central lane will be marked out.