Saimaa Canal opens on Monday, 22.3.
Published 16.3.2021 15.10
The Saimaa Canal will open for cargo transport on Monday, 22.3.2021 from 06:00 AM.
The icebreakers Calypso, Protector, and Meteor will open the deep-water routes on the Saimaa and will assist transport to the extent that it is possible under limits set for assistance. The Calypso has Saimaa, the world's first removable motorised bow that breaks ice.
“We will start to open the canal and the deep-water routes with three icebreakers, as the thickness of the ice is nearly half a metre in some places. The conditions differ sharply from what they were last year, when there was hardly any ice at all”, says Ilari Rainio, Maritime Specialist at the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency.
The first cargo ships are expected to arrive in the Saimaa Canal as soon as the canal is opened for transport.
Those walking on the ice should avoid all areas near the opened deep-water routes as of 22.3.2021. Those with holiday homes should note that it will not be possible to cross the deep-water routes once they are open.
Enquiries
Ilari Rainio
Maritime Specialist
Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency
+358 29 534 3291
[email protected]
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