Fort bij Vechten - Fan Sluice Gates Jan Blanken

Fort bij Vechten was built in the period between 1867 and 1870 as part of the New Dutch Waterline. The Fort's task was to prevent artillery attacks on the city of Utrecht and the defenses behind the fort.

Hydraulic engineer Jan Blanken designed the Waaiersluis (coupled fan doors) in 1808. This type of lock gates could be closed with little manpower, even against the current, and was very suitable for flooding areas in the New Holland Waterline. By order of King Willem I, fan locks were built in the Lekdijk near Vreeswijk, Het Spoel in Culemborg, near Asperen and Werkendam.

These fan doors come from the Waaiersluis in Gouda.

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Source

• Text: Peter Schipper
• Photos: Peter Schipper