Shipping on Germany’s Moselle River has been suspended until at least the end of March due to a damaged lock. Over the past weekend, a barge struck the lock at Müden, severely damaging it and causing a halt to all shipping traffic.
Approximately seventy vessels are currently unable to proceed past the lock. The Moselle is a crucial route connecting France and Luxembourg to the Rhine.
The lock, situated about thirty kilometers from where the Moselle flows into the Rhine at Koblenz, was hit by a cargo ship on Sunday afternoon. The collision severely damaged the lock gates and their operation system.
Starting tomorrow, the lock will be drained to assess the full extent of the damage, with repairs expected to take several months. The Moselle is a busy waterway, with 7,000 cargo ships and 350 passenger vessels having passed through the affected lock this year.
The cargo ships transport ores and fuels towards the Saarland and France, while in the direction of the Rhine, they carry steel and agricultural products such as grain.
Source: NOS