Berendrecht Lock


The Berendrecht Lock is the world's second largest lock, giving access to the right-bank docks of the Port of Antwerp in Belgium.

Background

Post World War II, work started on the Grote Doorsteek, an ambitious plan which ultimately resulted in the extension of the Antwerp docks on the right bank of the Scheldt to the Netherlands border. In 1967, the company completed the construction of the Zandvliet Lock, then the world's largest lock.

Construction

In 1989, needing to accommodate wider Post-Panamax ship, the company built a new lock just to the south of the Zandvliet lock. The Berendrecht Lock, which at, is wider. Bascule bridges at the ends of each lock,, allow full road traffic access around the port. The two locks now work as a doubled lock system.
Completion of the Berendrecht Lock allowed the extended development of the right bank docks complex, and later the creation of fast turnround tidal berths, both on the right bank, and on the left bank.

Dimensions

The dimensions of the Berendrecht Lock are:
In both length and total volume, the Berendrecht Lock is the second-largest in the world.

New leftbank lock

In November 2011, work started on the Kieldrecht Lock that became in June 2016 the world's new largest lock on the left bank of the Scheldt. Based on the design of the Berendrecht Lock, it has the same length and width, but with an operational depth of.