Comprehensive Upgrade of the Bossuit-Kortrijk Canal
The Bossuit-Kortrijk Canal is a valuable link in the inland waterway network between Flanders, Wallonia, and Northern France. By connecting the canal with the Leie and making it accessible to larger inland vessels, more opportunities arise for transporting goods via water.
The upgrade of the Bossuit-Kortrijk Canal, commissioned by De Vlaamse Waterweg nv, simultaneously boosts the development of the region. It is an opportunity to sustainably strengthen cities and villages, nature and landscape, mobility, and businesses in the area.
We are examining if and how the canal can be adapted in the future for ships up to class Va. These are ships that are 110 meters long and 11.4 meters wide. These ships can carry up to 3,000 tons of goods, equivalent to 150 trucks. A comprehensive study on the modernization of the canal is still ongoing.
The canal contains many elements that make this research a complex task. The research team takes into account several principles to come up with realistic solutions for inland navigation, while also taking a ‘Broad View’ on regional and future developments: all of this is bundled in the project PLAN B-K.
Future of Inland Navigation in Flanders and Europe
After modernization, the Bossuit-Kortrijk Canal can become an important link in the Flemish and European waterway network. The canal connects the Leie and the Upper Scheldt, but currently, inland vessels do not have access to the canal from the Leie. Only pleasure boats and small ships up to 300 tons can pass through.
The canal between Bossuit and the Kortrijk-Harelbeke industrial area was modernized in the 1970s, making it accessible to ships up to 1,350 tons. The canal in Kortrijk was not adapted at that time, which means that large ships cannot pass between the Kortrijk-Harelbeke industrial area and the Leie.
In Kortrijk, there are three historic, protected locks from the 19th century. These small locks and the waterway in Kortrijk are not adapted to the needs of modern ships. Skippers have to make a detour of 138 kilometers via the Leie, Ghent, and the Upper Scheldt to reach the companies along the canal. This costs a lot of time and money.
Approach as a Complex Project
The project is being developed in an integrated manner with special attention to the urban and landscape integration of the new canal into the urban fabric of Kortrijk. Sweco, with its experts (infrastructure and civil engineering), is leading this project and also provides process guidance. The project is also an innovation in terms of process approach with the application of the Decree on Complex Projects. Sweco facilitates the consultation and cooperation between the various involved authorities, and the communication and participation with stakeholders.
Additionally, Sweco is involved in designing and developing solutions for deepening the waterway, raising bridges, and modernizing certain locks on the Bossuit-Kortrijk Canal. The three classified locks near Kortrijk will be replaced by a new lock complex. This assignment in the hydraulic engineering sector fits within the integrated approach to complex urban infrastructure projects.
Co-creation and Participation with the Community
De Vlaamse Waterweg nv, with the support of Sweco, organized workshops on the study of the Bossuit-Kortrijk Canal. Residents and interested parties had the opportunity to be extensively informed, actively think along, and formulate their own ideas and comments. In the current research phase, De Vlaamse Waterweg nv is examining possible alternatives. For each alternative, the potential effects on the environment and nature, heritage, mobility, and surroundings are mapped out.
The largest adjustments are located in the center of Kortrijk, where the connection with the Leie is made. The current canal in Kortrijk is narrow and shallow and contains three small, protected locks. In the future, one new lock will accommodate a water level difference of more than 7 meters. In addition to adapting the current canal, we are also investigating an alternative route south of and parallel to the R8. Both routes have a very large impact on the spatial environment.
We have organized several workshops with the community to come to a comprehensive and supported research report. Using presentations, maps, and models, residents from Kortrijk, Harelbeke, Zwevegem, and Avelgem gained insight into the complexity of the research and the consequences of the various possibilities. They were also encouraged to think about the different study elements and research questions.
Publication ‘Bossuit-Kortrijk Canal. Complex Project Seeks Cooperation’
The approach to complex projects has been around for almost 10 years. The instrument was created to tackle large-scale infrastructure projects in Flanders more efficiently. An added value lies in creating support by involving various levels of government, cross-policy domain cooperation, and continuous interaction with the population and the ‘middle field’.
Sweco has built up considerable expertise in this field during this period. The complex project ‘Bossuit-Kortrijk Canal’ gave us the opportunity to work out solutions in dialogue with many experts, administrators, and stakeholders that contribute to a sustainable transition of our society. We wish to share these insights to help advance complex spatial planning in Flanders.
In this book, Sweco brings the ups and downs of the approach to the complex project for the upgrade of the Bossuit-Kortrijk Canal. Annelies Anthierens, Rik Houthaeve, Julie Lismont, and Stien Van Rompuy wrote down their experiences. They provide insight into how to tackle such a large project. We let you feel what it is like to be in the shoes of the protagonists: the Sweco team, the employees of De Vlaamse Waterweg nv, the Department of Environment, and the local authorities. These involved actors also provide testimonies and reflections.
