Don Lock

The Don lock, located on the Deûle river south-west of Lille, allows traffic to flow between the port of Dunkirk and the capital of Flanders. It enables the daily transit of 30 to 50 boats and the passage of 5.3 million tonnes of goods each year.

Built in 1956, it benefited in 2017 and 2018 from a major renovation project to meet the increase in river traffic and ensure the safety of navigation on this strategic section of the Franco-Belgian river links.

Carried out by Bouygues Travaux Publics Régions France, the work included replacing the jetties, reinforcing the downstream bank and creating a pumping station, modernising the control building and repairing the embankments.

The restoration of the lock's civil engineering structures, the replacement of the upstream and downstream gates, their operating mechanisms and the entire control system, as well as the upgrading of electrical systems to current standards, were carried out during a five-week interruption in navigation, which allowed the lock chamber to be drained. This operation mobilised up to 110 workers per day.