The long proposed Seine-Nord canal has got the green light from the French government. Works on the 106km long proposed canal will start in 2011 and the canal should be open to traffic by 2015.

Industry insiders have said that this is the first time that new works of this magnitude have been carried out since the 1970’s, and one spokesperson likened the project to those undertaken in the 1940s.

The canal will help France to achieve its commitment to reducing carbon emissions by 25% by 2020.

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