About 80 vessels passed through the locks at the Gabcikovo waterworks on the Danube River on Saturday night, 2 August after a period of closure for repairs. Navigation on the Danube was restored after the right-hand lock - which had been closed since Tuesday, 27 July, was put back into operation. “Despite complicated conditions, technicians managed to resolve the bearings failure that was causing the gate to malfunction," said Vodohospodarska vystavba water company spokesperson.
Considering the size of the lock, work on remedying the faults was extremely difficult. The Gabcikovo–Nagymaros Waterworks have been in operation for 22 years with only routine maintenance. Comprehensive reconstruction of the two locks will therefore be necessary in the future, claims the water company spokesperson, adding that such a reconstruction on the left-hand lock is already under way.
