The town Lilla Edet gets Sweden's first triangular lock

In Lilla Edet, not only does Sweden's oldest lock from 1607 exist, but in a few years, Sweden's first triangular lock will also be found here. A unique "lock attraction" that can attract visitors from both near and far.

While Lilla Edet's triangular lock isn't the first in Europe – there's a smaller version for recreational boats in the Netherlands – it will be the first major triangular lock on European soil.

One of the people behind the new lock solution is Johan Eriksson, project manager at the Swedish Maritime Administration, who explains that one of the major advantages of a triangular lock is safety.

"If a vessel loses steering control on the way into a triangular lock, the lock gates aren't in the danger zone, as in a rectangular lock. If the lock gates are damaged, it could potentially lead to a dam breach as water flows uncontrollably out of the lock. With this solution, the risk is significantly reduced," Johan Eriksson explains.

A triangular lock works best when, as in Lilla Edet, there is already a fairway that the lock is reconnecting to. The triangular shape reduces the distance back to the existing fairway because the entry and exit angles are different. Simply put, the triangular lock takes up less space than a rectangular one, saving nature and reducing the amount of excavation needed. This, in turn, results in fewer transports and reduced costs.

"Perhaps that's the biggest win because the impact is significantly less," says Lars Johansson, project manager at the Swedish Transport Administration.

The vision image shows how the triangular lock in Lilla Edet may be designed. What the surroundings around the lock will look like is not yet clear. The picture is taken from the south.