German government plans to widen Kiel Canal

The German government has announced plans to widen and dredge the Kiel Canal, allowing the 62 mile long waterway to take vessels of 280 metres in length and 33 metres wide. The minimum depth will be increased through dredging to 10.5 metres.

According to its website the Kiel Canal is the world's busiest artificial waterway, running from Brunsbüttel to Kiel-Holtenau and linking the North Sea with the Baltic. Using the canal to enter or leave the Baltic can saves an average of 250 nautical miles compared to sailing through the Skaggerak and Kattegat. Dredging the eastern most section of the is expected to cost euros140m (US$218m) by 2014 and whole project is likely to cost well in excess of euros400m by the time it is fully completed in 2018.

Source: http://www.mglobal.com