Two new lock gates have arrived in Södertälje.
News 2026-10-20
Construction of the new lock is in full swing. On Thursday, 8 October, the two eastern lock gates arrived in Södertälje, and one of them is scheduled to be lifted into place in a few weeks.
The lock gates, which will open and close the new lock once it is completed, were transported by barge from Sölvesborg, where they were manufactured. To allow one of the gates to be installed, the lock will be closed to vessel traffic from 20 to 23 October. During this period, the first gate will be lifted into place at the northeastern end of the lock. The remaining three gates will be installed during 2027.
The new, heavy-duty gates have been specially designed for the larger lock and weigh approximately 80 tonnes each. Each gate is 8 metres high and 17 metres wide.
A spare gate is already in place in the Södertälje Canal, just south of the lock. It will be used if any of the regular gates need to be taken out of service for servicing or maintenance.
The new lock
Once completed, the new lock will be 25.3 metres wide and 193 metres long. This means it will be 70 metres longer and 5.7 metres wider than the existing lock.
The larger lock will allow vessels up to 160 metres long and 23 metres wide to pass through Södertälje. Currently, the maximum permitted vessel dimensions are 124 metres in length and 18 metres in width.
New lock bridge to undergo testing
During the autumn, the new lock bridge will undergo testing to ensure that its operating and control systems function properly before it opens to traffic. The plan is for the bridge to enter service around the turn of the year.
The bridge is a single-leaf bascule bridge, measuring 34 metres in length and 12 metres in overall width. It features two pedestrian and cycle paths, measuring two and three metres in width respectively.
Installation of the mechanical systems used to raise and lower the bridge is currently underway.