An imposing 30-tonne crane lifts large 9-tonne concrete drainage bends, loaded onto a barge firmly moored to the bank of a canal in Strasbourg.

No truck ball on the horizon… Backed by Rhénus Sport, in the immediate vicinity of the European Parliament, a transhipment point now makes it possible to deliver materials to the imposing Archipel 2 construction site: four islands under construction which will form a brand new Strasbourg district, located between Wacken and Robertsau.

But who says big construction site, says trucks, traffic problems, dangers, noise pollution and air pollution.

This is why, with a view to supporting the ecological transition of the goods and materials transport sector, the city of Strasbourg and the Eurometropolis intend to rely, in partnership with Voies navigables de France (VNF) and the Autonomous Port of Strasbourg (PAS), on their river capital.

Objective: use the transport of materials by barge as close as possible to the construction sites.

"A mode of transport historically popular in Strasbourg and its surroundings before being neglected with the development of all-trucks", regrets Pierre Ozenne, deputy mayor in charge of waterways.



The Rhine and the canals, the Ill indeed mesh the entire Eurometropolis and prove to be a real opportunity, a lever, to accentuate the modal shift from the road to the water.

An alternative proposal to road transport, even if the transport time takes longer, all the more "interesting for economic players", underlines the city, which they will have to deal with the ZFE, currently set up on the entire Eurometropolis.

The opportunity also to “develop virtuous projects, underlines Pierre Ozenne, and also good for the local and solidarity economy.

As a reminder, a first river transhipment platform had been set up for the city center sites, namely those of the Tobacco Factory or later to deliver thousands of paving stones for the pedestrianized Quai des Bateliers.

Subsequently, the company Urban logistics solutions took over the operation of the river platform.

It uses it for the delivery in the city center of parcels, flour, drinks, using cargo bikes.

An alternative which this time also responds to the problem of the “last mile”.

Other planned sites

With this new transhipment point at Wacken, made possible by the proximity of the Marne-Rhine canal, an existing but underused infrastructure, 282 tonnes will thus be able to be transported from Brumath by barge to the Archipel 2 site by river.

And to interest construction projects whose materials could be transported by river to this site, an automated concrete plant has been authorized and the land made available temporarily, for a maximum period of two years, on the site.

This "logistical experimentation pushes two worlds, that of construction and that of the river, which are not necessarily used to working together", welcomes Pierre Ozenne.

Moreover, if it is successful, ideas are already emerging.

With the project for a transhipment platform on the Marne-Rhine canal in Vendenheim or even other river platforms for the Citadelle and Starlette districts of the ZAC des Deux-Rives.

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  • Transportation

  • Worksite

  • Air pollution

  • Ship

  • Low Emission Zone (ZFE)

  • Ecology

  • Energetic transition

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