Shipping on Boven-IJssel resumes in both directions
Rijkswaterstaat lifts restriction as river level rises.
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Ships can temporarily travel in both directions along the Boven-IJssel again. Rijkswaterstaat lifted the one-way traffic restriction on Monday after the water level rose above the safety threshold for inland shipping.
The measure applied to the stretch between the mouth of the Twente Canal near Zutphen and the IJsselkop near Arnhem. On that section of the river, ships were temporarily unable to sail in both directions at the same time. According to Rijkswaterstaat, the water level has now risen sufficiently to lift the restriction for the time being.
Rijkswaterstaat uses a water level of 1.45 metres as the risk threshold for the class of inland vessels sailing on the Boven-IJssel. At that level, the water authority says there is sufficient room for shipping to resume normal operations. Eefde lock can also once again be operated fully, without restrictions on the number of lock passages.
One-way traffic was introduced on 25 September because of prolonged low water levels. Restrictions had already been in place at Eefde lock since 25 July. The navigation channel became narrower because of the low level, meaning that two-way traffic was, according to Rijkswaterstaat, no longer safe enough.
For carriers, the restriction meant additional planning and longer sailing routes. During the measure, ships arriving from Germany had to take a detour via the Waal, the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal and the IJsselmeer, among other routes. Rijkswaterstaat previously estimated that detour at up to 200 kilometres.
The lifting of the restriction makes the route between Arnhem and Zutphen directly usable for inland shipping again. That does not mean that all the consequences of the dry period have passed. The water level remains dependent on the flow into the river and on new rainfall.
Rijkswaterstaat will continue to monitor the level and may impose restrictions again if the water falls once more. Skippers can find the latest instructions in the official Notices to Shipping. The situation has therefore improved, but is not yet structurally stable.
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The lifting of the restriction, the water threshold and the earlier restrictions can be traced directly to Rijkswaterstaat. The practical consequences for carriers are based on the earlier official diversion information.
- confirmed One-way traffic on the Boven-IJssel was lifted on 12 October 2026. — Reported by Rijkswaterstaat and ANP. source
- confirmed The risk threshold for the inland vessels concerned is a water level of 1.45 metres. — Stated by Rijkswaterstaat. source
- confirmed The earlier measure had been in place since 25 September and was related to low water levels. — Mentioned in Rijkswaterstaat’s earlier publication. source
Editor's note
The lifting of the restriction was reported on Monday by Rijkswaterstaat and ANP. The measure remains provisional; if water levels fall again, one-way traffic may return.Sources
- Eenrichtingsverkeer voor scheepvaart op de Boven-IJssel mogelijk maandag 12 oktober 2026 opgeheven — Rijkswaterstaat
- Eenrichtingsverkeer IJssel opgeheven — ANP via Oozo
- Vanaf 25 september éénrichtingsverkeer op de Boven-IJssel — Rijkswaterstaat
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