Port of Amsterdam’s new sea lock, which will be the world’s largest, will be opened later than planned. Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management, Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, informed the Dutch House of Representatives of the altered schedule for the completion of the lock, which will be completed 27 months later. The date will be moved to no later than the end of January 2022.
The delay will not impact the shipping traffic to and from the ports of the North Sea Canal because the existing Noordersluis lock will remain operational . This means that larger ships will not be able to call at the port.
As the Port said:
We regret this outcome of events. Since the Noordersluis lock will now remain operational longer, the accessibility of ports in the North Sea Canal Area will, in any event, not be compromised.
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The Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat/RWS) assured that the ports of IJmuiden, Beverwijk, Zaanstad and Amsterdam will remain easily accessible in the next few years. It is therefore vital that the Noordersluis lock remains in the best condition.
The Port of Amsterdam remains confident that the new lock will still be an impressive infrastructure project which will contributes greatly to the economy of the North Sea Canal Area.
