The Belgian canal completed in 1939 that links the Meuse River to the Scheldt River is the Albert Canal.
The Albert Canal runs across northeastern Belgium between Liège on the Meuse and Antwerp on the Scheldt. It was built to provide a faster, larger-capacity route for inland shipping and to strengthen the connection between Belgium’s industrial regions and the port of Antwerp. The canal is approximately 129.5 kilometres long.
Construction took place from 1930 to 1939, and the canal was named for King Albert I of Belgium. Six lock complexes overcome the 56-metre elevation difference between Liège and Antwerp. Five provide lifts of about 10 metres, while the Wijnegem lock has a smaller lift of roughly 5.45 metres.
Although the canal was completed in 1939, wartime events delayed its intensive use. It also became part of Belgium’s defensive landscape during the German invasion in 1940, and Allied forces crossed it during the liberation of Belgium in 1944. A frequent mix-up is confusing it with the older Meuse–Scheldt Canal; the Albert Canal replaced much of that route’s role for larger vessels.