Odra Trail – Szczytniki Barrage, Szczytniki Lock [5]

Grudzień 14, 2016

 

 

 See location on the map

 

In the late nineteenth century, for rapidly developing Odra transport created was a new water route, called the Great Inland Way. It led through Szczytniki Barrage, and then Old Odra riverbed, connecting it with the City Canal dug in 1892-1897. Creating a new road for large-size transport meant regulating the river and actions related to that, such as rebuilding Szczytniki barrage.

 

 

 

Szczytniki Weir was constructed in 1555, after digging a new bed for Odra and directing the main stream of the river towards the city centre. The weir is located at a place where part of the Upper Odra water is discharged to Old Odra. During the 1997 flood the weir was destroyed, which caused a major threat to the zoo, located behind a levee. In 2002, the wire was rebuilt and modernized. It is currently a single-span, moving construction with modern coating design and chamber fishway from the zoo side. At the 45-meter crown of the weir is a rubber coating filled with water, which allows for regulating water accumulation level.

 

 

The right side of the weir is Szczytnicka island, formed after digging the canal, on which was built Szczytniki Lock. It is a chamber lock from 1896, and its design and dimensions are characteristic for several locks on Odra, which were built in the same period on Upper Odra. Two-winged steel support gates are driven electrically, with the lower performing the additional role of flood gates. The head and chamber of the lock are made of granite, and the circulation canal (used for filling and emptying the lock) – of brick.

 

 

Unfortunately, only twenty years after the launch of Route of Great Sailing (Droga Wielkiej Żeglugi) it appeared to not be enough, and both locks (Szczytnicka and Burgher’s) to be too small to receive ships of tonnage larger than 1,000 tons. Therefore efforts were made to create a new route, which was opened in 1917. From then on, Szczytniki Lock serves mainly tourist traffic.

 

 

 

 

(…) Through the streets of Wrocław
went fast-flowing mountain
streams rivers brooks
in dirty mirror of water
which rose and fell
stood churches theaters houses
people on roofs
were waving white blue
red sheets
Gucwińscy built an ark
for their animals
rescued lions elephants giraffes and butterflies

helicopters hovered
over the waters (…)
Tadeusz Różewicz, Tale about late love (fragment)

 

 

 

 

 

ODRA TRAIL:

1. Stopień wodny Opatowice, Śluza Opatowice
2. Stopień wodny Bartoszowice, Śluza Bartoszowice
3. Przystań ZOO, Port STANICA, Port RANCZO
4. Przystań Zwierzyniecka, Most Zwierzyniecki, Kanał Miejskiego
5. Szczytniki Barrage, Szczytniki Lock
6. Wyspiański Shore
7. Ujście rzeki Oława, Port Węglowy, Odra Centrum
8. Grunwaldzki Bridge
9. Kanał Żeglugowy, Śluza Zacisze
10. Boulevard of Lech and Maria Kaczyński
11. Gondola Bay
12. Boulevard of Xawery Dunikowski
13. Włostowic boulevard
14. Most Tumski, Mosty Młyńskiej
15. Sand Bridge, the Tamka Island
16. The upper barrage, Sand Lock
17. Słodowa Island
18. Most Uniwersytecki, Marina
19. The lower barrage – Burgher’s Lock
20. Mieszczański Stopień Wodny, Elektrownie wodne
21. Port Miejski, Kępa Mieszczańska
22. Stopień wodny Różanka, Śluza Różanka
23. Barrage Psie Pole, The City Lock
24. Most Milenijny, Zimowisko Barek Osobowice 1
25. Port Popowice
26. Zimowisko Barek Osobowice 1
27. Stocznia Kozanów
28. Stopień wodny Rędzin, Śluzy Rędzin
29. Home page

 

 

See also our Partner: www.WroclawNadOdra.pl [eng]