In the early fifties the lock was used for tests with the floating weirs in the IJssellinie.[2] The three floating weirs, near Nijmegen, Arnhem and Olst, were a secret and new project and the Dutch army was looking for a location to test the weirs. A pontoon section of nine meters wide could be placed in the 14-metre-wide lock.[2] The lock with weir were very suitable for simulating the desired water depths and current velocities that occurred in practice in the rivers.[2] The sinking of the pontoon was tested under various circumstances. The tests started in May 1953 and three years later, in May 1956, the last sinking maneuvers were carried out in the lock.[2]
In 2002 the second lock was officially opened, with the name Princess Máxima Sluizen. The new lock is not visible from the shore. The old original lock is clearly visible and is an attraction for tourists. Although the old lock has been renovated a number of times, it still looks like it did in the early days, which makes it extra special. Beyond the lock, the weir of Lith, which pushes the water up 4 m, is also clearly visible.
The new lock has a larger capacity than the old lock and is therefore accessible to all modern shipping. In addition, the situation at Lith became safer because professional and recreational vessels can now be locked separately. At the same time as the new lock, the new control building has also been taken into use. This control building has replaced the existing building, because by putting the new lock into use, the amount of equipment had to be expanded to control both locks and the weir. The weir dates from the same time as the first lock. Next to the lock and weir complex is a hydroelectric power station (hec = hydroelectric power station) and a fish passage.
Translated by Google •
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