Published on: December 10, 2025, 14:29
Work on the old Panheel lock chamber was on schedule. However, when the chamber was drained, more underwater damage was found than expected.
Rijkswaterstaat and the contractor consortium Orion (a collaboration between Istimewa Elektro, Mourik Infra, and Yunex Traffic) expect that due to additional work, the chamber will only reopen in early March 2026. Meanwhile, the new lock chamber (Panheel South) remains in use and ships can continue to pass through.
Underwater Damage
Earlier in 2025, the contractor started work on the doors and pivot points of the doors at both the upper and lower heads. To do this, the chamber was drained and both doors were lifted out. The contractor inventoried any other damage.
It turned out that the 100-year-old chamber is in worse condition at several points than expected. The identified damage includes corrosion on the gate posts, concrete damage to the lock heads, and severely damaged corner profiles due to concrete leaching and past collisions.
Necessary Repairs
It is very important that this damage is repaired before the chamber is put back into use. The connection of the doors to the concrete walls is no longer watertight, which weakens the supporting structure. Simply installing new doors is therefore not sufficient.
For a proper seal, it is necessary to also replace parts such as the corner profiles on the walls. The doors will then fit fully against the concrete wall again and no longer leak water.
No Disruption to Shipping
Because the lock chamber is now dry and the doors have already been removed, the contractor is carrying out these repairs immediately. This means the old lock chamber will be closed for a longer period.
Orion expects to need until March 5, 2026, to complete the additional work. The earlier work has largely been completed. Panheel South lock remains available for shipping during this period.
More Information
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