Editing Scheldt (section)

== Navigation ==
[[File:Escaut Location.jpg|alt=Location of navigable river Schedt/Escaut|thumb|The navigable river Escaut/Scheldt from Cambrai to the North Sea (from European Waterways Map and Directory, 5th edition)]]
Canalisation from Cambrai down to Valenciennes was completed in 1788. [[Napoleon]] saw the benefits of linking Paris to Belgium and accelerated completion of the [[Canal de Saint-Quentin]] to the south. The locks were deepened and doubled, as coal became the essential commodity of the industrial revolution. Upgrading downstream from Bouchain was started in the 1960s in both France and Flanders, but the waterway is still not fully compliant with European standards. All the locks on the high-capacity section are being doubled by European Class Vb size locks, {{convert|185|by|12|m|ft|abbr=on}}, as part of the overall European Seine-Scheldt waterway project.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Inland Waterways of France|last=Edwards-May|first=David|publisher=Imray|year=2010|isbn=978-1-846230-14-1|location=St Ives, Cambs., UK|pages=84}}</ref> The Pont des Trous, a listed fortified bridge in Tournai that has already been substantially modified, will again be raised to provide the necessary dimensions, including an air draught of {{convert|7.10|m|ftin|abbr=on}}.{{citation needed|date=August 2018}}

The 13&nbsp;km section between Cambrai (connection with Canal de Saint-Quentin) and [[Hordain]] (connection with [[Sensée Canal|Canal de la Sensée]]) is only navigable for small ships ([[péniche (barge)|péniche]]) and has 5 locks.<ref>[http://www.fluviacarte.com/fr/voies-navigables/region-r-1/voie--18 Fluviacarte], Escaut (à petit gabarit)</ref>