The New Lock (Terneuzen, Netherlands)
Photos – Info – Weather – Tips – Geo Info – Starry sky [- Tides]
General information about The New Lock
The New Lock is one of the largest locks in the world. It became permanently operational in 2025. About a year earlier, it was festively opened by the royal couples of Belgium and the Netherlands. The New Lock has a length of no less than 427 meters and a width of 55 meters, making it suitable for seagoing vessels up to 366 meters long. It is indispensable for the port of Ghent, which is connected to the Western Scheldt via the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal. The construction of the lock took no less than seven years and cost some €1.2 billion. It was paid for mainly by the Belgians, given its importance to them. It is operational 24/24 and 365/365. Should breakdowns suddenly occur, important spare parts are ready and waiting, such is the importance of this lock for Flemish industry.
The Nieuwe Sluis is part of the "North SeaLocks". Terneuzen has a total of 3 locks, one exclusively for inland navigation (the Eastern Lock) and then the other two (the Western Lock and the New Lock) for larger (sea) vessels.
There have been other locks in the past. The first was commissioned in 1827 under King William I. Over the years, the Ghent-Terneuzen canal became wider and deeper. Currently, 56,000 ship movements per year are recorded, and within a few years this will rise to roughly 100,000.
Locks have to take a lot of things into account: difference between ebb and flood (in Terneuzen this is normally about a good 4 meters, see the tides info block below), the problem of salt and fresh water, storm force, draft of modern ships, and so on. You can learn all about it in the port information center "Portal of Flanders".
At both ends of the New Lock there is a large bridge. One of the two is always operational, the other is then always open almost perpendicularly (about a good 86°). This can be clearly seen in the photos below.
Visitor tips The New Lock
General tips:
1) if you are looking for other nearby attractions, consult our Tourist map of Top.Vlaanderen.
2) You can consult our overview lists: by category ( e.g. timeline, size, ...) or by region
3) You can also always consult tourist services: see our overview of tourist services
Tip 1: You can see the lock from solid ground: then park your car close to one of the two bridges and explore the lock on foot. You can then see large ships entering and leaving the lock. You will see that ships from a length of 180 meters will be accompanied by 2 tugs: one in front and one in the back. This one at the back serves as an additional brake, this one in front of the ship for extra steering.
Tip 2: It gets even more interesting when you see the locks in operation from the waterfront. You can do this by booking a cruise through the "Portal of Flanders," a foundation run by enthusiastic volunteers. This small ship (an old police patrol boat) will then sail right in front of this new lock, among other things. With any luck, you will see the big gate open or close. When the doors are wide open, you realize how big the lock is. Highly recommended.
Tip 3: If you want to see and photograph large sailing sea-going vessels (for example, the giant container ships), it is best to head to the "Scheldt Information Point" or the "East Pier" of Terneuzen. You can photograph them there at less than 100 meters. You must have done this!
Tip 4: If you would like to see a lock from the inside, you can get this done by booking a guided tour: the guide will then descend as much as 18 meters underground in the West Lock. You can book a guide via the Foundation "Portal of Flanders".
Tip 5: If you want an original place to stay, check out our page of the Kerkhotel in Biervliet. Highly recommended!
Geographical information
Address: Buitenhaven 5, Terneuzen, Zeeland, Netherlands
Geographical coordinates:
- Google Maps: Latitude = 51.3274867 - Longitude = 3.8198675
- Open Street Maps: Latitude = 51.329200 - Longitude = 3.818825
- Altitude h = m
Indication of De Nieuwe Sluis on:
Tourist map of Top.Vlaanderen - Google Maps - OpenStreetMap.
Route to De Nieuwe Sluis: Route via Google Maps
Meteo
8°C
| Day | Condition | Temperature | Precipitation | Rain Chance | Wind | Humidity | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Today
22:00
|
cloudy
|
7° | 8°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 12 Km/h | 98 % | 1019 mb |
|
Tomorrow
22:00
|
 cloudy
|
4° | 9°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 12 Km/h | 91 % | 1019 mb |
|
Mon Jan 26
10:00 p.m.
|
partly cloudy
|
3° | 9°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 11 Km/h | 92 % | 1019 mb |
|
Tue Jan 26
10:00 p.m.
|
 slightly cloudy
|
5° | 10°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 11 Km/h | 92 % | 1020 mb |
|
Wed Jan 26
10:00 p.m.
|
 cloudless
|
3° | 8°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 22 Km/h | 93 % | 1014 mb |
| Hour | Condition | Temperature | Precipitation | Rain Chance | Wind | Humidity | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Today
10:00
|
cloudy
|
7° | 7°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 8 Km/h | 98 % | 1015 mb |
|
Today
13:00
|
cloudy
|
9° | 10°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 9 Km/h | 88 % | 1016 mb |
|
Today
16:00
|
cloudy
|
10° | 10°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 9 Km/h | 91 % | 1017 mb |
|
Today
19:00
|
cloudy
|
8° | 8°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 10 Km/h | 94 % | 1018 mb |
|
Today
22:00
|
cloudy
|
9° | 9°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 12 Km/h | 89 % | 1019 mb |
|
Tomorrow
01:00
|
cloudy
|
8° | 8°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 12 Km/h | 87 % | 1019 mb |
|
Tomorrow
04:00
|
partly cloudy
|
6° | 6°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 10 Km/h | 90 % | 1019 mb |
|
Tomorrow
07:00
|
cloudy
|
6° | 6°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 9 Km/h | 91 % | 1019 mb |
Starry sky over The New Lock
Tide predictions
Want to see the tides for another date?
Internet information from and about The New Lock
Wikipedia information about:
– The North Sea locks (NL)
Tourism Service “Stichting Portaal van Vlaanderen”:
Website – Facebook – Instagram
Tourist Office “VVV Zeeland”:
Website
Tourist Office “Visit Zeeland”:
Website – Facebook – Instagram
Adjacent restaurant “Brasserie Westbeer”: highly recommended: fresh fish, snacks, coffees, all accompanied by a beautiful water panorama
Website – Facebook – Instagram
Our photos about The New Lock
Onze foto’s, video’s, … zijn allen (c) 2004-2026, Top.Vlaanderen, België. Ze mogen niet “zomaar” worden overgenomen of gebruikt. Ze zijn evenwel licentieerbaar. Wil U uw eigen toeristische attractie, B&B, vakantiewoning… laten fotograferen door ons, dat kan ook. Neem hiervoor contact met ons op via ons Contactformulier .
Photos of the New Lock as seen from the water (Sept. 25, 2025)
Photos of the "Portal of Flanders" (Sept. 25, 2025)
Disclaimer: All information presented on top.vlaanderen has been compiled with the utmost care. It is also checked regularly. If you have any comments, errors, additional information, etc... please contact us via our contact form. We are not responsible for possible incorrect or incomplete information.
