Winter works on the Göta Canal

Continuous renovations

Many people think that operations on the Göta Canal cease entirely when the fairway closes for the season. This is of course not really the case. When our boating guests have left and our land visitors have finished their ice cream, our winter works season begins. This is when we perform most renovations, repairs and maintenance of the canal facilities, to keep them in working order for many years to come.

We continuously work with updating electronics and hydraulics, installing new lighting to minimise our use of electricity and finding and repairing any leakages. We also replace old piers, grout lock chambers, build new lock gates and renovate bridges.

In order to allow some of the winter works to be carried out, parts of the canal will sometimes have to be drained and then refilled. This gives visitors an interesting opportunity to see what the canal facilities look like beneath the surface.
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FAQ

What do we do during winter, what does a lock gate cost and why do we actually spend so much money on renovating the Göta Canal? Here you can find all the answers!

One of the days along the Göta Canal

New lock gates at Motala in winter 2017/18

The Göta Canal 2.0

The largest renovation project in the history of the Göta Canal

Quick facts about the Göta Canal 2.0

We are in the middle of the most extensive renovations to the Göta Canal since its opening in 1832. The project is called Göta Canal 2.0 and is a five-year project during which large parts of the canal are renovated and improved to comply with current dam safety regulations. Throughout the works, the Göta Canal Company is responsible for preserving the Göta Canal for future generations, as a driving force of Sweden’s growing tourism industry.

Project duration: 2016-2021
Investment: More than 500 million SEK.
Funded by: Our owners, the Swedish Government
Why: To preserve Sweden’s cultural heritage, improve the dam safety aspects of the facility and create good conditions for tourism along the destination route of the Göta Canal.
Will the canal be closed?: No, the Göta Canal will not be closed during the project. Works will not interfere with boating traffic and the fairway will remain open as usual during the summer months.

Do you want to know more?

Read more about our large renovation project Göta Canal 2.0