Schleuse Gelsenkirchen, Schleuse des Rhein-Herne-Kanals
Schleuse Gelsenkirchen is a lock on the Rhein-Herne-Kanal in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, featuring two chambers that raise and lower boats between different water levels. The facility measures approximately 190 meters in length, accommodates vessels up to about 12 meters wide, and manages elevation changes of roughly 6.2 meters.
The lock was constructed in the early 1980s, with construction beginning in 1979 and completing in late 1982, to meet the demands of modern shipping traffic. It became a key component of the Rhein-Herne-Kanal system for regional freight transport.
The lock takes its name from the city where it stands. You can watch boats passing through as part of the everyday routine of river commerce and recreation on the canal.
You can view the lock from a path along the canal, particularly from the address An den Schleusen, which is easy to locate. The best time to watch is when boats are passing through, which happens regularly throughout the day.
The entire locking process takes only a few minutes, with filling or emptying the chambers taking about 7 minutes and the gates opening and closing in roughly 35 to 55 seconds. This efficient design allows numerous vessels to traverse the elevation change smoothly each day.
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