Opening of the shipping channel through the Spit on 17 September, open to vessels from 18 September
Due to the nature of the celebrations accompanying the opening of the new crossing over the Vistula Spit, which will take place on 17 September, the shipping channel will be generally accessible to vessels at the Port of Nowy Świat a day later, from 18 September, the Ministry of Infrastructure has announced.
In a Twitter post on Monday, Deputy Infrastructure Minister Marek Gróbarczyk confirmed that the opening of the navigation channel through the Vistula Spit will take place on 17 September.
– The first stage will be closed. The next two stages will be the deepening of the Vistula Lagoon and the Elbląg River, together with the access to the port. The final completion of this major investment is next year,” he wrote.
– The construction of the waterway connecting the Vistula Lagoon with the Gulf of Gdansk is a priority investment, which will shorten the route of ships to the Baltic Sea and enable free, year-round navigation of sea vessels of all flags to the port of Elbląg and other ports of the Vistula Lagoon. Every investment that enhances Poland’s development potential is needed. An abandoned and forgotten area gains in value and has opportunities for development. The basin gains the possibility of direct protection, business will be able to develop. Please look who is against this!!! – he wrote.
He pointed out that “we had dozens of adversaries – the European Commission, Russian ministers.
– They tried to portray this investment negatively, this process is still going on in some media. Some have not understood how important this investment is. It is the opening of the last body of water that was inaccessible to Poland,” he added.
After the deepening of the waterway to Elbląg through the Vistula Lagoon, sea vessels of 100 metres in length and sets of barges 180 metres long, 20 metres wide and with a draught of 4.5 metres will be able to enter.
The total length of the new waterway from the Gulf of Gdansk through the Vistula Lagoon to Elbląg is nearly 25 kilometres. The passage through the Vistula Lagoon alone is just over 10 kilometres, on the Elbląg River it is also over 10 kilometres, and the remaining approx. 2.5 kilometres is a section comprising a lock and outer harbour and a berth. The canal, as well as the entire fairway, will eventually be 5m deep.
The MI communiqué indicates that from the opening of the navigation channel through the Vistula Spit, passage through the lock will take place in accordance with port regulations, which will soon be made public. These stipulate that sluicing of vessels can only take place during daylight hours and at strictly defined times.
The first departure of vessels from the lock will take place on 17 September this year in the afternoon. The ceremony will also be attended by units of the Polish Navy, the Maritime Border Guard Unit, the Maritime Search and Rescue Service, the State Water Management Authority Wody Polskie, the Police, the Military Police as well as hydrographic and patrol and control units of the maritime administration.
Source: PortalMorski.pl
