2023-09-29 16:08:01
The SPW had announced major work at the Auvelais lock on the Sambre. However, on the date initially planned for the end of the work, namely September 18, it was still far from being finished. Result ? 36 boatmen who thought navigation would resume are currently waiting, stuck in front of the lock. And it will continue. Indeed, the latest assessment of the situation sets the resumption of navigation for next Thursday, as confirmed by Vincent Feller, responsible engineer on site. We obviously hope that the work will be completed sooner, but we prefer a certain date which will allow boatmen, businesses and industries to organize themselves. In total it will be more than 2.5 weeks late compared to the initial end of work date, with the unpleasant impression that navigation resumption dates have been announced and not kept several times.
The responsible engineer tells us ” we had planned a 4-week interruption of navigation for this very important project. This was, it must be admitted, a fairly ambitious deadline. There were unforeseen events on the site on the one hand, but we must also note an organizational problem with a contractor which explains part of the delay and without which we might have finished the work earlier.”
What regarding the boatmen who risk spending several days on site? Our interlocutor continues “with civil protection, we have already distributed drinking water on board, we have also taken the rubbish that was on board. On the other hand, boatmen are entitled to daily compensation due to unemployment“
For his part, the SPW mobility spokesperson did not have time to respond to our requests.
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