Enhancements will reduce waiting time

The Maasgeul is a navigation channel from the North Sea to the port which serves as the access route for seagoing ships that have a draft of more than 14.3m. Greater numbers of ships are now using Rotterdam and need to make use of the channel.

The Maasgeul is six miles long and 500 to 600m wide. Under the new plan it will be widened by another 240m so that, by the summer of 2012, large seagoing ships will be able to pass each other whilst using the channel.