Inundation lock at Wijk bij Duurstede

In 1870, the Kromme Rijn was given a key role in the New Dutch Waterline. Back then, it took almost a month to flood the area around Utrecht. This had to be speeded up. To this end, the river was widened, its bends were straightened and locks and dams were built. Near Wijk bij Duurstede, a large inundation lock was built that made Wijk bij Duurstede the ‘tap’ with which to turn on the New Dutch Waterline. This reduced the time needed to flood the inundation areas to between 4 and 12 days. The inlet is still used daily to transport fresh water to the city of Utrecht and the river Vecht.