Riqueval Tunnel
The Riqueval Tunnel is a 5,670 metres (3.52 mi)-long tunnel on the St Quentin Canal, close to the commune of Bellicourt, in the department of Aisne, France. It connects Bellicourt with Bony. It was constructed as part of the St Quentin Canal between 1801 and 1810, on the orders of Napoleon.
Riqueval Tunnel electric tug in 1984
 The south tunnel entrance | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Location | Ballicourt |
| Coordinates | 49.975998°N 3.2311505°E |
| Status | Open |
| Waterway | Canal de Saint-Quentin |
| Start | 49.95061°N 3.235851°E |
| End | 50.001386°N 3.22645°E |
| Operation | |
| Constructed | 1801-1810 |
| Opened | 1810 |
| Owner | Gabarit Freycinet |
| Technical | |
| Length | 5,670 metres (3.52 mi) |
| Boat-passable | Yes |
The tunnel remains in use, and can be traversed using a chain boat. Along with the Mauvages tunnel, on the Marne–Rhine Canal, it is one of the last locations in the world where a system of chain towing is still in operation.
It was the longest tunnel in the world until the construction of Biassa II tunnel, La Spezia, Italy.
External links
- Tour through Riqueval Tunnel Site (French)
- Official site of navigable canals in France (French)
- Photos site (French)
- M. M. PUGIN: L’histoire du Canal de Saint-Quentin Dans: Mémoires numérisés, Tome XXVII, 1982, Page 43-60, PDF
- Video about Riqueval Tunnel and its area (French)
References
- [1]
- [2]
- [3]
- [4] Der Ort wurde in der Schlacht am Saint-Quentin-Kanal vom 29. September bis 10. Oktober 1918 schwer umkämpft.[5]
- Lermoyez, M. (1863). "Sur le touage des bateaux dans les souterrains du Canal de Saint-Quentin". Annales des ponts et chaussées (in French). Paris. VI: 323–373.
- Oskar Teubert: Die Binnenschiffahrt – Ein Handbuch für alle Beteiligten, Band 2, Verlag Wilhelm Engelmann, Leipzig 1918, 4. Teil, Abschnitt III., Schiffszug, 4. Das Schleppen an der Kette oder am Seil, Seite 268–287
- "Le Touage de Riqueval" (in French). Archived from the original on 2008-03-04. Retrieved 2010-01-06.
- amerikanischer Ehrenfriedhof Bellicourt Archived 2013-12-03 at the Wayback Machine
- britischer Ehrenfriedhof Bellicourt Archived 2013-12-14 at the Wayback Machine
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