First images metamorphosis Royers Lock

Antwerp’s Royers Lock, which will close in 2020 for a major renovation, will look completely different from today after those works. A viewing platform, smooth and safe traffic connections, an increase in length and width, these are the characteristics of the Royers lock. It should become operational in 2024. The hundred-year-old lock complex on the north side of Antwerp will undergo a much-needed metamorphosis from 2020 to accommodate larger barges. Because of the narrow Scheldt bend, the lock will also be made larger than is normally required for four-barge pushing, to allow ships to pass more comfortably. The construction of new lock gates should also make lock passage much faster: freshening time would still be a maximum of 20 minutes.