Canal du Nord

50°17′N 3°07′E / 50.283°N 3.117°E / 50.283; 3.117

Canal du Nord
The Canal du Nord near Hermies
Map
Specifications
Length95 km (59 mi)
Lock length91.9 m (302 ft)
Lock width6 m (20 ft)
Locks19
StatusOpen
Tunnels:Ruyaulcourt tunnel, Panneterie tunnel[1]
History
Principal engineerGabarit Freycinet
Construction began1908
Date completed1965
Geography
Start pointCanal latéral à l'Oise, Pont-l'Évêque, France
End pointSensée Canal, Arleux, France
Canal du Nord
Sensée Canal
Arleux
Rue du Bias, Arleux
Malderez Canal
Lock No. 1 (Palluel)
Rue d'en Haut, Palluel
Rue des Stations, Sauchy-Cauchy
A26 autoroute
Port of Marquion
Route National (D939)
Lock No. 2 (Marquion)
Rue du Sains, Sains-lès-Marquion
Lock No. 3 (Sains-lès-Marquion)
Rue du Sains-lès-Marquion
Lock No. 4 (Inchy-en-Artois)
Rue d'en Haut, Mœuvres
Lock No. 5 (Mœuvres)
Route de Cuquiche, Mœuvres
Route de Bapaume (D930)
Lock No. 6
Lock No. 7
Rue d'Hermies
Ruyaulcourt Tunnel
Ruyaulcourt
A2 autoroute
Chaussee Brunehaut (D58)
Rue d'Equancourt (C6)
Rue de Douai (C7)
Rue de la Taille, Manancourt
Side Wharf
Rue Canal, Moislains
Rue Garre, Moislains
Moislains Public Quay
Lock No. 8 (Moislains)
Lock No. 9
Lock No. 10 (Allaines)
Route d'Allaines, Allaines
Rue d'Arras (D1017), Feuillaucourt
Lock No. 11 (Feuillaucourt)
Route d'Albert (D938)
Lock No. 12 (Halles)
River Somme
Junction with the Somme Canal
Port de Plaisance, Péronne
Faubourg de Paris (D1017), Péronne
Lock No. 13 (La Chalelette)
Chaussee Brunehaut (D1029), Brie
Saint-Christ-Briost Wharf
Saint-Christ-Briost Bridge
A29 autoroute
Lock No. 14 (Épénancourt)
Pargny Bridge
Béthencourt-sur-Somme Bridge
Junction with the Somme Canal
Route de Rouy, Rouy-le-Petit
Railway Bridge
Route de Nesle (D930)
Lock No. 15 (Languevoisin-Quiquery)
Grand Rue, Languevoisin-Quiquery
Languevoisin-Quiquery Public Port
Rue du Coquis, Breuil
Buverchy Bridge
Lannoy Wharf
Lannoy Bridge
Libermont Bridge
Panneterie Tunnel
Rue de la Gare, Frétoy-le-Château
Lock No. 16 (Campagne)
Campagne Bridge
Rue de Catingy, Catigny
Rue de Genets, Béhencourt
Rue de l'Eglise, Haudival
Lock No. 17 (Haudival)
Rue de Beaurains, Beaurains-lès-Noyon
D934
Coopérative Agora wharf
Route de Montdidier (D938), Noyon
Lock No. 18 (Noyon)
Noyon Bridge
D1032
Lock No. 19 (Pont-l'Évêque)
Rue du Mont Renaud
Creil–Jeumont railway bridge
Pont-l'Évêque public wharf
Oise Lateral Canal

The Canal du Nord (French pronunciation: [kanal dy nɔʁ], literally Canal of the North) is a 95-kilometre (59 mi) long canal in northern France. The canal connects the Canal latéral à l'Oise at Pont-l'Évêque to the Sensée Canal at Arleux.[2] The French government, in partnership with coal-mining companies in the Nord and Pas-de-Calais departments, developed the canal to help French coal mining companies withstand foreign competition. Construction of the canal began in 1908 but halted in 1914, because of the First World War. The war caused widespread destruction of the canal and the French government made no attempt to resume construction until 1959. Construction recommenced in 1960 and the waterway opened to the public in 1965. The Canal du Nord and the Canal de Saint-Quentin may be supplanted by the Seine–Nord Europe Canal, a projected high capacity link between the Oise River at Janville and the high capacity Dunkirk-Escaut Canal.