Moselle lock tired: shipping after accident until March!

A serious accident recently damaged the Moselle lock, which has a significant impact on shipping in the region. A freighter led to a standstill in shipping, which means that numerous ships can no longer continue. The consequences of the incident concern not only the district, but also adjacent areas.

repairs to the lock are expected to take until spring 2025. In order to overcome the standstill, emergency locks have been set up, which enable some ships to pass the lock to after several days. The shipping on the Moselle was paralyzed for a week, as the ZDF reported.

emergency lock and queues

A first cobblered ship was an 80 meter long freight ship that was able to continue his journey towards the Rhine after about two hours. A total of 74 ships above the damaged lock are waiting for the passage. In order to ensure a smooth process, a provisional lock gate made of nine steel dam beams is installed and expanded in every smuggling process.

Shipping on the Moselle remains closed until at least at the end of March 2025. Destroyed lock gates have already been lifted out of the water. The installation of a new goal could extend up to the period mentioned. A complete scheme process with the provisional gate takes four to six hours, compared to the usual 20 to 30 minutes. In order to free as many fixed ships as possible by the end of the year, the lock is operated around the clock, with five to six ships being snapped.

The waiting ships include 15 on the Saar and 45 above Trier to France. Among them are both passenger ships as well as tankers and shear associations. Many of the freight ships transport steel products or agricultural products; In addition, 29 ships are unloaded.