Willebroek Canal
The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.
Willebroek Canal
(Brussels-Rupel Canal), a navigable canal in Belgium that connects the Senne River, on which Brussels is located, to the Rupel River, a tributary of the lower Scheldt. The canal provides the capital with direct access to the sea. It is 31.9 km long and 6.5 m deep. Constructed in 1561 and reconstructed in 1922, it is navigable for seagoing vessels. Coal, ore, foodstuffs, and agricultural raw materials are the main cargos shipped via the canal. Freight turnover totals 8.8 million tons per km (1965).
The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.