Roubaix Canal

The Canal de Roubaix is a canal in northern France. It joins the Canal de la Deûle near Marquette-lez-Lille to the Canal de l’Espierres in Belgium at Leers, just east of the former textile manufacturing town Roubaix. It is 20 km long with 12 locks. The Belgian canal continues 8.4 km and three locks beyond the border to the junction with the river Escaut (Scheldt). The canal fell into disuse in 1985 and was going to be infilled for an urban expressway. Instead, the canal was repaired and reopened in September 2009. The first normal operating season, after dredging works on the Belgian canal, was 2011.