Editing Zuid-Willemsvaart (section)

=== 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>