Editing Zuid-Willemsvaart (section)

=== '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}}