Overview
- Provincie Groningen says the urgent repair program on the 1929 Dorkwerdersluis will now run six to eight weeks, extending disruptions for historical vessels and leisure boaters.
- All traffic is halted during weekday work hours, with a daily passage window from 17:30 to 19:00 and normal operations on weekends.
- Crews are installing and anchoring steel sheet piles because water has seeped behind aging brick walls, washed out sand, and weakened the lock chamber.
- The province cited a lack of available personnel and equipment and said the job proved larger than first thought, calling it a case of force majeure.
- Extra berths are being added for waiting boats, and vessels up to 6.8 meters high can reroute via the Van Starkenborghkanaal through the Oostersluis, while a major overhaul or even replacement within five to ten years is under study.