The reconstruction is a collaboration between the Swedish Transport Administration and the Swedish Maritime Administration which aims to increase the capacity of the Södertälje canal and lock, including the Mälarfarleden and ports in Västerås and Köping with the aim of developing shipping to and from Lake Mälaren. The lock is to be both widened and extended and the existing lock bridge is to be replaced with a new one.
According to the Swedish Maritime Administration, the fact that there will be fewer locks during the summer is to ensure that the working environment is safe and secure during lock construction.
– For example, you work with divers in water, and they need a certain distance and to be able to work alone for periods, says Johan Eriksson, project manager at the Swedish Maritime Administration.
Fewer locks in the coming summers
The reconstruction of the lock and the canal began in 2023 and is expected to be completed in 2026. And that it will be less frequent in the summer between lock times is something that the residents of Södertälje can expect in the coming years as well.
– We foresee that the same procedure will also be needed in the summers of 2024 and 2025, says Johan Eriksson.
Hear what the residents of Södertälje think about the fact that there will be fewer locks this summer in the clip.
