Port of Ghent

The Port of Ghent is the third busiest seaport in Belgium, located in Ghent, East Flanders in the Flemish Region. The first port of Ghent was situated at the river Scheldt and later on at the Leie. Since the Middle Ages Ghent has sought for a connection to the sea. In the 13th century via the Lieve canal to the Zwin near Damme, in the 16th century via the Sassevaart, in the 17th century via the Ghent–Bruges canal. Since the 19th century, the Ghent–Terneuzen Canal connects the port via the Western Scheldt to the North Sea. The port of Ghent is accessible by ships of the Panamax size, and in February 2015 the construction of a new lock at Terneuzen was announced, which will maintain near-parity with those of the Panama Canal expansion project. In 1251, the Lieve Canal was constructed in order to attempt to connect Ghent to Damme, which was at that time was situated at the Zwin. However, the Zwin sanded up and the Lieve canal lost all relevance by the end of the fifteenth century. In 1547, a second attempt was made by digging the Sassevaart (Sasse Canal), which became a busy trade route. In the sixteenth century however, the European wars of religion meant the end of navigation on the Sassevaart. This due to a traffic lock on both Western Scheldt and all other connecting waterways set by the Dutch. In the 17th century, a new attempt was made with the Ghent–Bruges–Ostend canal. But as a consequence of the abolition of the former trade privileges there was but little activity. The present canal (the Ghent–Terneuzen Canal) was finally dug under the rule of William I, King of the Netherlands. In 1822 the final plan was ratified and in 1827 the works could be started. As waterborne traffic and port activities increased, the sea canal was extended several times: 1880–1881: digging of the Voorhaven and Houtdok 1900–1930: digging of the Grootdok with the Noord-, Midden- and Zuiddok 1931: digging of the Schepen Sifferdok The works on the Sifferdok were complicated by the crisis of the thirties and by World Wars I and II.