Marne–Rhine Canal

Marne–Rhine Canal

The Marne-Rhine Canal at Niderviller, Moselle
Specifications
Length 313 km (194 mi) [1]
Locks 154 [1] (originally 178 [2])
History
Construction began 1838 [3]
Date completed 1853 [3]
Geography
Start point Marne in Vitry-le-François [1]
End point Rhine in Strasbourg [1]
Beginning coordinates 48°43′48″N 4°36′24″E / 48.730123°N 4.606670°E / 48.730123; 4.606670 (Start point of the Marne–Rhine Canal)
Ending coordinates 48°35′26″N 7°47′16″E / 48.590661°N 7.787779°E / 48.590661; 7.787779 (End point of the Marne–Rhine Canal)
Connects to Rhine, Marne, Meuse River, Moselle River, Canal des houillères de la Sarre
Marne-Rhine Canal in the waterway network in eastern France.

The Marne–Rhine Canal (French: Canal de la Marne au Rhin) is a canal in north eastern France. It connects the river Marne in Vitry-le-François with the Rhine in Strasbourg. Combined with the canalised part of the Marne, it allows transport between Paris and eastern France. The original objective of the canal was to connect Paris and the north of France with the Alsace, the Rhine, and Germany.[3]

Description

The 313 km (194 mi) long canal was opened in 1853. The canal is suited for small ships (péniches), maximum size 38.5 m long and 5.05 m wide. It has 154 locks, including two in the Moselle River. There are four tunnels. The Saint-Louis-Arzviller inclined plane is located between Arzviller and Saint-Louis and its construction replaced some 17 locks.[3]

The Marne–Rhine Canal is connected with the following navigable waterways (from west to east):

Its course crosses the following départements and towns:

The Voies Navigables France Itinéraires Fluviaux breaks the canal into eastern and western sections. The western sections goes from Vitry-le-François to Toul over 131.4 km (81.6 mi) via 97 locks. The eastern section goes from Frouard to Strasbourg over 159 km (99 mi) via 57 locks.[4] The 23.4 km (14.5 mi) section between Toul and Frouard is closed and a canalized section of the Moselle River is used.[3]

The Through the French Canals book breaks the canal into eastern and western sections, but with a different separation point. The western sections goes from Vitry-le-François to Réchicourt over 222 km (138 mi) via 121 locks. The eastern section goes from Réchicourt to Strasbourg over 91 km (57 mi) via 33 locks.[1]

Tunnel near Arzviller

En Route

The end in Strasbourg
PK 0 Vitry-le-François 48°43′48″N 4°36′24″E / 48.730123°N 4.606670°E / 48.730123; 4.606670 (Vitry-le-François)
PK 47 Bar-le-Duc 48°46′27″N 5°10′08″E / 48.774198°N 5.168792°E / 48.774198; 5.168792 (Bar-le-Duc)
PK 62 Ligny-en-Barrois 48°41′16″N 5°19′05″E / 48.687829°N 5.317922°E / 48.687829; 5.317922 (Ligny-en-Barrois)
PK 86.5 Mauvages tunnel 48°35′04″N 5°31′08″E / 48.584403°N 5.518899°E / 48.584403; 5.518899 (Mauvages tunnel)
PK 111 junction with Canal de la Meuse 48°42′52″N 5°41′24″E / 48.714472°N 5.690103°E / 48.714472; 5.690103 (junction of Marne–Rhine Canal and Meuse Canal)
PK 130 Toul 48°40′40″N 5°53′02″E / 48.677837°N 5.883757°E / 48.677837; 5.883757 (Toul)
PK 131.5 junction with Moselle 48°40′59″N 5°54′21″E / 48.683188°N 5.905906°E / 48.683188; 5.905906 (junction of Marne–Rhine Canal and Moselle)
PK 164 Nancy 48°41′38″N 6°11′34″E / 48.693756°N 6.192840°E / 48.693756; 6.192840 (Nancy)
PK 178 Dombasle 48°37′41″N 6°20′42″E / 48.628095°N 6.344928°E / 48.628095; 6.344928 (Dombasle)
PK 222 Réchicourt 48°41′32″N 6°50′42″E / 48.692202°N 6.845136°E / 48.692202; 6.845136 (Réchicourt)
Saint-Louis-Arzviller inclined plane 48°42′57″N 7°13′06″E / 48.715911°N 7.218292°E / 48.715911; 7.218292 (Saint-Louis-Arzviller inclined plane)
PK 259 Lutzelbourg 48°44′09″N 7°15′23″E / 48.735872°N 7.256384°E / 48.735872; 7.256384 (Lutzelbourg)
PK 269 Saverne 48°44′34″N 7°21′59″E / 48.742677°N 7.366299°E / 48.742677; 7.366299 (Saverne)
PK 286 Hochfelden 48°44′56″N 7°34′10″E / 48.748809°N 7.569442°E / 48.748809; 7.569442 (Hochfelden)
PK 307 Souffelweyersheim 48°38′03″N 7°45′10″E / 48.634203°N 7.752879°E / 48.634203; 7.752879 (Souffelweyersheim)
PK 313 Strasbourg 48°35′26″N 7°47′16″E / 48.590661°N 7.787779°E / 48.590661; 7.787779 (Strasbourg)

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Jefferson, David (2009). Through the French Canals. Adlard Coles Nautical. p. 275. ISBN 978-1-4081-0381-4.
  2. ↑ Uhlemann, Hans-Joachim (2002). Canal lifts and inclines of the world (English Translation ed.). Internat. ISBN 0-9543181-1-0.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 McKnight, Hugh (2005). Cruising French Waterways, 4th Edition. Sheridan House. ISBN 978-1574092103.
  4. ↑ Voies Navigables France Itinéraires Fluviaux. Editions de l'Écluse. 2009. ISBN 978-2-9520591-2-1.
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