Brandenburg: New construction of the Friedenthal lock - ground-breaking ceremony in Oranienburg

The ground-breaking ceremony for the reconstruction of the Friedenthal lock took place in Oranienburg. This will restore the historic connection between the Oranienburg Havel and the Ruppin Canal and the castle harbour in Oranienburg will no longer be at the end of a dead end. The Ruppin Canal will also make it easier to connect to the more than 50 kilometres of Ruppin waters.

The measure is a major step forward for water tourism in the region. The new construction of the Friedenthal lock emphasises its importance for economic development in the north of Brandenburg and throughout north-eastern Germany. For this reason, the federal government is also contributing 24 million euros to the total sum of 33 million euros.

Project in line with the federal masterplan

This was confirmed by Wibke Mellwig from the Federal Ministry of Transport at the ground-breaking ceremony: "The funding is in line with the Masterplan for Leisure Shipping published by the federal government in 2021, which supports the maintenance and expansion of federal waterways in regions characterised by tourism."

The new Friedenthal lock will have usable dimensions of 41.5 metres in length and six metres in width. It will be designed as a chamber lock in sheet piling construction with double-leaf steel gates. It will be operated by automated self-service. In addition, parts of the Havel will have to be dredged to ensure a uniform water depth. Completion of the lock is planned for the end of 2026.