Kassel City Lock
Commissioning of the new structure

Since the opening of the new lock structure was celebrated in June 2023, the River Fulda is once again navigable in this area. Inros Lackner had responsibility for the project in the role of General Planner. The old lock chamber from the year 1913, which had been closed for safety reasons, was pumped empty to facilitate the construction work and served as a construction pit for the new reinforced concrete lock. The new lock is significantly smaller than the old one, better matching the dimensions of the neighbouring locks. The new structure is equipped with impact gates and a simple, user-operated control system, with additional remote monitoring from the KASSELWASSER control centre. The project’s particular challenges included the demolition of the old chamber walls following the construction of the new lock. This work had to be carried out in a way that would avoid damaging the adjacent weir or the new structure, and as quietly as possible considering its location in a residential area. The planning and design work also had to take into account the applicable heritage protection requirements, the difficult access and limited space conditions, and the need to accommodate water sports enthusiasts during the construction phase.

This project, the first of its kind in Germany, will serve as a model for others. The decreasing importance of the Fulda River for commercial inland navigation led to its downgrading to a waterway of type “Other”, and the Kassel City Lock became accordingly less important. Due to its deteriorating condition, the structure was decommissioned by the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration. The city of Kassel took ownership of the lock from the federal government, which contributed 50 percent of the construction costs for the new lock, and the state of Hesse, which contributed 25 percent. Despite all the challenges encountered, the project was completed on time and within budget. The city’s KASSELWASSER company took on the role of client and project manager for the construction project, and now operates and maintains the lock.