Editing Cambrai (section)

====Waterways history====
The [[Canal de l'Escaut]] ([[Scheldt]] canal), between Cambrai and [[Valenciennes]], was opened to navigation in 1780.

Moreover, a river link between Paris and the Nord department had been projected as early as the time of [[Cardinal Mazarin|Mazarin]] and [[Jean-Baptiste Colbert|Colbert]]. The construction of the [[Canal de Saint-Quentin|Saint-Quentin canal]], between [[Chauny]] on the [[Oise (river)|Oise]] and Cambrai, was taken up in 1802 on the order of [[Napoleon|Napoleon I]] and completed in 1810, after the drilling of the [[Riqueval Tunnel]]. The canal and tunnel were opened with great pomp on 28 April 1810 by the Emperor and Empress [[Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma|Marie-Louise]].{{cn|date=December 2023}} The Saint-Quentin canal has experienced heavy traffic, but since 1966, the date of the opening of the [[Canal du Nord]], it has lost much of its importance.{{cn|date=December 2023}}