All five slipways on the Elbląg Canal (Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship) have been suspended from Saturday until further notice. This is due to a failure of the Kąty slipway's bypass channel, the Regional Water Management Authority in Gdańsk announced.
On Saturday, a failure occurred on the bypass canal in Kąty, which supplies the water wheels of all the slipways. “A breach has occurred, which may widen. There is no threat to people or property,” the Regional Water Management Authority in Gdańsk reported.
According to the announcement, emergency repair measures will stop the water flow, but the actual repair could take up to two weeks. The Regional Water Management Authority will provide information on the progress of the repair and the opening of individual ramps in navigational announcements.
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Built in the 19th century, the Elbląg Canal is one of the region's most popular tourist attractions. Each year, approximately 100,000 tourists navigate the canal on boats and other vessels.
It is a unique monument of hydraulic engineering thanks to its system of five slipways with a so-called dry ridge – in Buczyniec, Kąty, Oleśnica, Jelenia, and Całuny. Cruise ships and yachts, to overcome the difference in levels, are placed on trolleys and pulled along the tracks using steel cables, powered by a water wheel. The canal also has four locks: Miłomłyn, Zielona, Mała Ruś, and Ostróda. (PAP)
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