The North Sea Canal is a 24km/15mi waterway constructed from the new city of IJmuiden on the North Sea coast of the Netherlands to the old IJ bay , allowing seagoing ships to call directly at the city of Amsterdam. The canal was excavated through the sand dunes between 1865 and 1876. Four locks control the water level, with the assistance of the largest pumping station in Europe A fifth lock is due to be opened in 2019. Nine additional side canals were dug to reclaim the adjacent lands and designated as Canals A – I.
