Editing Zuid-Willemsvaart (section)

== Modernization ==

=== Plans to modernize the canal ===
Already in the early 1960s there were plans to upgrade the canal. There was no intention to execute these plans on short notice, but some aspects were determined in order to ease later implementation.{{sfn|Rijkswaterstaat|1966 I|p=2}}

=== Situation of the canal in 1974 ===
In 1974 an overview of traffic on the canal was made by collecting shipping data of [[Sluis 0]] in 's-Hertogenbosch, and of Sluis 13, somewhat south of [[Someren]], near Limburg. Overall, it showed that from 1960 to 1974 the number of ships had decreased, while the total amount of cargo had remained the same. {{sfn|Rijkswaterstaat|1975b|p=4}}

At Sluis 0, almost all upstream vessels were loaded. By 1974 the vast majority unloaded at Veghel, some continued to Helmond, and only a tiny fraction continued further upstream with cargo. At Sluis 0 downstream cargo had decreased from about 5,000 vessels in 1960 to only a few hundred loaded vessels in 1974.{{sfn|Rijkswaterstaat|1975c}} At Sluis 13 the reverse was true. Here almost all vessels heading north were loaded. Most went to the Wilhelmina Canal and only some to Veghel. At Sluis 13 most of the upstream vessels were empty.{{sfn|Rijkswaterstaat|1975b|p=5}}

The overview showed that not many ships travelled the entire canal. Most of them went from the Meuse near 's-Hertogenbosch to Veghel or Helmond and then returned. A smaller amount came from the Meuse in Limburg, sailed to the Wilhelmina Canal, and then returned. Furthermore, not much cargo was loaded along the Zuid-Willemsvaart.{{sfn|Rijkswaterstaat|1975b|p=5}}

As regards the future of transport on the canal, the conclusion was that Water transport had successfully maintained its position against increased competition by [[road transport]]. This had been done by increasing productivity, i.e. ship size and engine power.{{sfn|Rijkswaterstaat|1975b|p=5}} A clear limit to a further increase were the number and size of the original locks, and the small width (profile) of the canal.{{sfn|Rijkswaterstaat|1975b|p=6}}

In 1975 the idea was that after modernization, the average size of vessels would double in twenty years. Transport speed would be increased by replacing the many old locks with a limited number of large modern locks. All this would lower transport cost, and again make the Zuid-Willemsvaart suitable as a shortcut of the Meuse.{{sfn|Rijkswaterstaat|1975b|p=7}}

=== The Helmond detour (1981-1993) ===
[[File:Helmond,_zicht_op_kanaal_door_Helmond_vanaf_de_Kasteeltraverse_foto8_2016-10-16_13.53.jpg|thumb|The old section in Helmond]]
In [[Helmond]] the canal had been dug just west of the town's center. In 1957 20,000 vessels passed Sluis 7 (Lock 7) and the center of Helmond. By 1960, motorized road traffic had quadrupled in ten years. It caused chaos near the bridges over the canal. These had to be opened often, and were anyhow unsuitable for the increased traffic. Rijkswaterstaat then made a plan to create a new course for the canal east of Helmond.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ABCDDD:010877919:mpeg21:p011 |work=De Volkskrant |title=Leven in Helmond loopt vast op opengedraaide bruggen|date=9 December 1960}}</ref> The detour was about as long as the previous course, and though it was planned to start north of lock 9, in the end it would start south of it.{{sfn|Rijkswaterstaat|1975a|p=1}}

The Helmond detour would be constructed first. It would lead to the strange situation that for many years the Helmond detour was the widest part of the canal, but was unreachable for larger vessels. The logic was that the existing section through Helmond could not be upgraded, and solving the road traffic problem in Helmond could not be postponed as long as the general upgrade of the canal. Therefore, the decision about the Helmond detour was taken while the options for other parts of the canal remained open{{sfn|Rijkswaterstaat|1966 I|p=2}} In May 1971 the route of the detour was determined.{{sfn|Rijkswaterstaat|1975a|p=1}}

Other considerations to construct the detour were that it would bypass Locks 7, 8 and 9. Technological advances allowed their replacement by a single lock, {{lang|nl|Sluis Helmond}} (Lock Helmond). Also the many crossings over the new section could be constructed so high that they would not have to be opened to allow ships to pass. All this would save much time for ships, and make transport over water more competitive.{{sfn|Rijkswaterstaat|1975a|p=3}}

Work on the Helmond detour started on 11 December 1981.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010377720:mpeg21:p007 |work=De Waarheid |title=Zuid-Willemsvaart|date=11 December 1981}}</ref> By 1986 the overall project to upgrade the Zuid-Willemsvaart was delayed by financial difficulties, and budget overruns on e.g. the [[Oosterscheldekering]]. However, the detour was still planned to be finished in 1993.<ref name=DL27091986>{{Cite news |url=https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010611048:mpeg21:p007 |work=De Limburger |title=Verbetering Zuid-Willemsvaart op lange baan |date=27 September 1986}}</ref> By 1988, while about 100 of the 160 million guilder cost had already been spent, the government wanted to delay the opening until 1995.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=KBNRC01:000029189:mpeg21:p003 |work=NRC Handelsblad |title=Voltooiing omleiding kanaal Helmond in '95 |date=5 August 1988}}</ref> In 1990 construction of the Helmond Lock started. In the end, the detour was opened on 11 December 1993.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010628818:mpeg21:p010 |work=Nederlands dagblad |title=Kanaalomlegging Helmond (phto) |date=14 December 1993}}</ref>

=== 's-Hertogenbosch - Veghel section (1990-1995) ===
By 1988 the overall maintenance situation of the canal was problematic. Locks 2 until 13 still dated from the construction time of the canal, and looked extremely bad. Most of the lock chambers were kept together by metal sheeting to diminish the risk of collapse.{{sfn|Rijkswaterstaat|1988|p=33}} A risk analysis showed increased wear and tear of the locks, and more collisions, because ships had become so much larger and used ever stronger engines.{{sfn|Rijkswaterstaat|1988|p=33}}{{sfn|Rijkswaterstaat|1988|p=47}} The situation was most serious at Lock 3, just east of where the current road between [[Schijndel]] and [[Heeswijk]] crosses the canal. A passing ship was reported to have lost an hour using the lock, because its skipper had to be so careful.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ABCDDD:010856608:mpeg21:p003 |work=Volkskrant |trans-title=Locks on Zuid-Willemsvaart near collapse |title=Sluizen Zuid-Willemsvaart staan op instorten |date=27 June 1988}}</ref>

In October 1982 the government decided to widen the Zuid-Willemsvaart up to NederWeert, the Wessem Nederweert Canal, and the Wilhelmina Canal between Son and Tilburg to [[Classification of European Inland Waterways|CEMT]] class IV.<ref name=LD27101982>{{Cite news |url=https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010593077:mpeg21:p017 |work=Limburgsch Dagblad |trans-title=Improvement of Canals |title=Verbetering kanalen |date=27 October 1982 }}</ref> A 1985 plan to realize this gave priority to the replacement of Locks 2 and 3 by a new lock near Schijndel. This was motivated by the bad condition of all the old locks, and the severe damage that would result if the busy section between 's-Hertogenbosch and Veghel would be blocked by a failure of these locks. {{sfn|Rijkswaterstaat|1985|p=71}} In 1986 the plan was postponed.<ref name=DL27091986 />

In February 1990 minister [[Hanja Maij-Weggen]] planned to use the funding allotted for the canal to build the [[Maeslantkering]] instead. For North-Brabant province and the House of Representatives this was unacceptable. Local companies had already invested about 10 million guilders to improve their facilities in anticipation of the widening, and 30 million had already been granted for Schijndel Lock from an environmental budget.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010623760:mpeg21:p018 |work=Limburgsch dagblad |trans-title=Urgent letter about Zuid-Willemsvaart |title=Brandbrief over Zuid-Willemsvaart |date=21 February 1990 }}</ref> Their actions proved effective. In the second half of 1990 construction of Schijndel Lock was underway.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=KBPERS01:003168020:mpeg21:p00035 |work=Algemeen Dagblad |trans-title=Still two more years of work on new locks |title=Nog twee jaar werk aan nieuwe sluizen |date=23 August 1991 }}</ref> Schijndel Lock was taken into use in 1995.{{sfn|Van der Meer|Stoop|Wiggers|1996|p=2}}

=== Veghel - Nederweert (2003-2007) ===
Even while the important section up to Veghel was getting upgraded to Class IV, plans for the central section between Veghel and Nederweert again came under discussion. in 1997 plans were made that would upgrade this section, which included the Helmond detour, to class III instead of class IV.{{sfn|De Boer|1997}} In the end Sluis 4, 5 and 6 would get the same size lock chamber as Schijndel Lock, i.e. 110 * 12.6&nbsp;m. Normal depth would be 3.5&nbsp;m. Construction of these three locks started in 2008.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.ed.nl/overig/ombouw-van-sluizen-begonnen~a8953160/ |work=Eindhovens Dagblad |title=Ombouw van sluizen begonnen |date=19 November 2008 }}</ref>

Upstream of the Helmond detour, locks 10 - 13 were replaced earlier. The replacement of Lock 11 and Lock 13 by longer locks was finished in 2003. Locks 10 and 12 were replaced in 2007.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://onlinekrant.binnenvaartkrant.nl/2007-07/59378560/5 |work=Binnenvaartkrant |title=Stremming Zuid-Willemsvaart |date=27 March 2007}}</ref>

=== The 's-Hertogenbosch detour / Máxima Canal (2007-2014) ===
The section of the canal which ran through the city center of 's-Hertogenbosch posed a serious problem for the plans to upgrade the canal. It was situated in an area with very much street traffic, and was surrounded by buildings on both sides. There were three options: Widening the existing section; digging a detour around the city; and upgrading the Wilhelmina Canal. The latter runs from the Meuse through Oosterhout and Tilburg to a point just north of Helmond, where it meets the northern end of the Helmond detour.{{sfn|Rijkswaterstaat|1975a|p=2}} In the end it was decided to dig a detour around 's-Hertogenbosch. Construction of the [[Máxima Canal]] started in 2007, and was completed in 2014.