Luxembourg's Ministry of Sustainable Development and Infrastructure has announced that he locks on the Moselle river, between Metz and Koblenz, are to be closed each year for a period of 8 to 10 days in order to allow managers of the waterway to inspect and repair the locks if needed.
The Moselle Commission is responsible for fixing the stoppage dates which are set and published several years in advance in order to cause the least possible inconvenience to commercial water craft. Currently, these periods were determined up to 2025; however, stoppages originally planned for 2017 had to be postponed due to special circumstances.
In 2017, the closure due to construction of the railway along the Moselle would overlap with the planned stoppages on the waterway. This is why the Commission considered, in consultation with the managers of the Moselle waterway, if a postponement of stoppages in 2017 was possible. This would reduce the economic disadvantage for skippers, shippers and companies in the Saar-Moselle region. Given these elements, the Moselle Commission decided to postpone the originally planned stoppages in 2017.
Navigation will be interrupted on the German industry and the German-Luxembourg sector of the Moselle from 27 June to 4 July 2017. Stoppages last 10 days on the French Moselle, from 26 June to 5 July 2017. During stoppages, navigation through the locks only will be interrupted, with navigation permitted between sets of locks.
Other fixed stoppages until 2025 remain unchanged. Full details are available for consultation at www.commission-de-la-moselle.org.
The Moselle Commission, based in Trier, was established in late 1962 on the basis of the Moselle Convention, to promote the interests of Moselle navigation. Its main tasks are to establish the optimal conditions for Moselle navigation and to ensure the safety and good order of navigation. The Moselle Commission has a permanent secretariat that supports it in its tasks and missions.
