One-way traffic again on the Upper IJssel
Rijkswaterstaat has again restricted shipping after the navigation channel became shallower than is safe.
Follow-up to: Shipping on Boven-IJssel resumes in both directions Monday, 12 October 2026, 12:28
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Since Wednesday morning, one-way traffic has again been in force for inland shipping on the Upper IJssel. Rijkswaterstaat took the measure two days after it had been lifted, because water levels fell too low again.
The restriction applies to the stretch between the IJsselkop near Arnhem and the mouth of the Twente Canal near Zutphen. Ships may travel only upstream, from Zutphen towards Arnhem. Navigation in the opposite direction is temporarily prohibited.
According to an ANP report carried by Transport Online, the measure came into force at 09.00. Rijkswaterstaat says the minimum measured depth had reached the 1.45-metre threshold earlier this week, after which navigation in both directions was again possible. Because there was less rain than expected, the water level subsequently fell again.
Rijkswaterstaat had already warned in September that the navigation channel becomes narrower when water levels are low, and that two-way traffic cannot then be guaranteed to be safe. The agency measures the minimum surveyed depth daily: the shortest distance between the riverbed and the water surface in the navigation channel.
For carriers, the restriction mainly means extra travelling time for ships heading north from Germany or the south. They must take a detour via the Waal, the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal, Amsterdam and the IJsselmeer. Rijkswaterstaat previously described this alternative route as approximately 300 kilometres long.
The consequences extend beyond the skippers themselves. Businesses along the IJssel depend on supplies by water and must once again take less predictable sailing times and adjusted planning into account. Eefde lock and the connection with the Twente Canal also remain vulnerable to low water levels.
Rijkswaterstaat describes the measure as provisional. The current water report of 14 October says that the Rhine and the IJssel are lower than normal for this time of year and are expected to remain so over the next 48 hours. If water levels rise, the restriction may be lifted again; if they fall further, additional measures may follow.
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The current measure has been confirmed by ANP and Rijkswaterstaat's water report. The detour route and the safety threshold are based on earlier official information from Rijkswaterstaat.
- confirmed One-way traffic was introduced again on the Upper IJssel on 14 October. — Reported by ANP via Transport Online. source
- confirmed The measure applies between the IJsselkop and Zutphen and allows upstream navigation only. — Mentioned in the ANP report. source
- confirmed The minimum measured depth of 1.45 metres is the relevant threshold. — Mentioned by Rijkswaterstaat in its earlier warning. source
- confirmed The Rhine and the IJssel are lower on 14 October than is normal for this time of year. — Current water report from Rijkswaterstaat, updated 14 October 2026. source
- confirmed Ships must take a detour of approximately 300 kilometres under the restriction. — Rijkswaterstaat described this detour route in its earlier official warning. source
Editor's note
The reintroduction at 09.00 and the reason for it were reported via ANP and are consistent with Rijkswaterstaat's current water report. The duration of the measure remains uncertain.Sources
- Opnieuw eenrichtingsverkeer voor scheepvaart op de Boven-IJssel — Transport Online / ANP
- Waterbericht — Rijkswaterstaat
- Boven-IJssel: mogelijk eenrichtingsverkeer door lage waterstand — Rijkswaterstaat
The story so far
- Monday, 12 October 2026, 12:28 Shipping on Boven-IJssel resumes in both directions
- Wednesday, 14 October 2026, 13:29 One-way traffic again on the Upper IJssel (this article)
More on this in Dutch media
- NRC — „ijssel laagwater”
- NU.nl — „ijssel laagwater”
- De Telegraaf — „ijssel laagwater”