Canal Leuven-Dijle

The Leuven-Dijle Canal is a canal in Belgium linking the city of Leuven with Mechelen and the Scheldt. It is slightly longer than 30 km and has five locks. It follows the river valley Dijle.La construction began in 1750, after a decree of Empress Maria Theresa I of Austria. The canal has not changed much and the locks have been almost the same for two and a half centuries. On 19 March 1997 the canal was classified as a monument of industrial archaeology. Although the Flemish government tries to promote canals as an alternative to roads for freight, the canal no longer has much economic importance. The mobile bridges are being modernised to allow them to be remotely powered from a central control tower in Kampenhout. However, the transit of goods knows a certain renaissance. Since 2003, a malt established in Leuven on the bank of the canal, reused the canal to transport some 5000 containers to or from the port of Antwerp. This allowed to decongest a road and improve relations with neighbors, importunated by the numerous trucks.

More information

Comments Statistics

| | Public | Catalan • Dutch • French • German