Vridi Canal

 seaport, canal

depth at 13.5m
www.portabidjan.ci/en/projets/widening-and-deepening-fa...
"PROJECT OBJECTIVES​ :
Make it possible to handle ship over 250 m in length and 16 m draught; widen the access windows; increase competitiveness of the port.
EXPECTED OUTCOME OF THE PROJECT
Enable the reception at any time of containerships and conventional ships over 250 m in length and 16 m draught in the best security conditions: Improve security and safety of navigation in the Vridi canal; competitiveness gain as regards time and reception capacity."



Extract from: www.portabidjan.ci/en/historical/birth
"After the approval of the project by Roger Pelnard-Considère, the contract for the work of the Vridi canal was awarded to a consortium of companies in 1936. But actual work only began in 1938. They continued under the successive authority of the following Directors of Civil Engineering Levy, Pelnard-Considère, Pilot, Pougnaud, Vernisse and Jean Miller. It is the latter who completed work and later became the first managing director of the Port of Abidjan. The works comprised the dredging of the canal, the construction of two piers at sea for the protection of the harbour channel against sand currents, the building of protected banks out of ripraps and that of brushwood mattresses ballasted of ripraps for the protection of the seabeds. The digging of the canal was simultaneously done on the sea side sea and on the lagoon side. This allowed the introduction, from 1948, of the sea side called the outer harbour to relieve the economy, which was then close to asphyxiation because of the saturation of the wharves of Grand -Bassam and Port-Bouët.
The construction work of the canal, somewhat slowed down during the Second World War, was nevertheless continued until July 23, 1950, date on which one the last “stopper” of the Vridi canal was blasted, putting in communication the waters of the Ebrié lagoon and those of the Atlantic Ocean. With the opening to the navigation of the Vridi canal, the Port of Abidjan was born. The first ship to take the Vridi canal was the 'MARIE DOMINIQUE"and the first deep sea ship was the "VOLTA». The Port of Abidjan was officially inaugurated on February 5, 1951 by Mr. François Mitterrand, then French Minister for the overseas territories."

Extract from: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_Port_of_Abidjan#Histor...
"To create the port, the Ébrié Lagoon was to be connected to the ocean by cutting through the barrier island at Port-Bouët. This was attempted in 1906–07, but shifting sand dunes and flooding repeatedly undid the work. After hydrological studies in the Netherlands, the problem was solved by the construction of the Vridi Canal; this was started in 1935, suspended during World War II, and completed in 1950. The canal is 2,700 metres (1.7 mi) long, 370 metres (1,210 ft) wide and 13.5 metres (44 ft) deep and enables deep-water vessels to use the port. Marshall Plan funds helped pay for the work.[4] The Port of Abidjan was officially opened on 5 February 1951 by François Mitterrand, then Minister of Overseas France. The wharves at Port-Bouët and Grand-Bassam were subsequently closed."

Oil berths: www.portabidjan.ci/en/content/oil-terminal