Méricourt Locks

The two locks at Méricourt, built in the 1960s and located in Île-de-France, handle 30% of national river traffic.

As part of a vast design-and-build project launched by Voies navigables de France, the renovation and lengthening of the Méricourt structures will restore the locks to their original cross-sectional dimensions, ensuring their future stability and reliability in both normal and extreme situations.

The project includes, in particular, the renovation of the existing locks and the extension of lock No. 1 from 160 metres to 185 metres downstream, in order to accommodate convoys of 180 metres in length. In order to modernise the structure, it was also necessary to create a new control room for the locks and the barrage, bring the equipment up to standard and completely renovate the locks' automatic systems.

One of the major technical challenges of this almost complete reconstruction was carrying out the work alongside the existing structures while maintaining navigation on the Seine. Continuity of service was ensured by a 185-metre lock, which remained operational at all times.