After more than three years of construction, the time has come this year: The new construction of the Hadelner canal lock in Otterndorf on the Elbe should be completed by the summer.
According to the current status of the responsible NLWKN (Lower Saxony Water Management, Coastal Defence and Nature Conservation Agency), pleasure craft should be able to pass through here again from May or June 2022. This will make it possible to navigate the entire Elbe-Weser shipping route again.
It connects Otterndorf with Bremerhaven and is a shorter alternative to the twice as long trip "round the outside" via Cuxhaven, especially for smaller yachts with masts down and for motorboats. The route is a popular shortcut, especially at the start of the season when many owners transfer their boats from the Weser through the Kiel Canal to the Baltic Sea, but has not been an option in recent years due to the construction of new locks.
However, the state-owned company makes the actual opening of the new lock dependent on the current construction progress and points out that the date could still change due to "unforeseeable delays". In the medium term, however, skippers can now once again plan their route along the almost 60-kilometre-long canal section.
The new construction of the previous lock in Otterndorf had become necessary as part of dyke heightening measures on the Elbe. There are also positive side effects for pleasure boaters after the long dry spell: in future, it will be possible to lock in regardless of the tide, there will be a new pleasure boat jetty and the narrow lock tunnel will be a thing of the past. In future, the clearance height will be 2.80 metres.
Information on the Elbe-Weser shipping route, including lock times and contact details, can be found on the Website of the NLWKN.
