International Waterway E70

The route covers 294 kilometres via the rivers: Warta, Noteć, the Bydgoszcz Canal, the river Brda up to its confluence with the Vistula (and the IWW E40) in the Bydgoszcz Waterway Junction. Later, the waterway runs for 114 kilometres along the Vistula, Nogat and across the Vistula Lagoon to the Russian boarder.

The waterway includes a network of ports, harbours, transshipment terminals, shipyards, tourist marines and passenger ports along the rivers Warta, Noteć, the Bydgoszcz Canal,  Brda as well as the Vistula River, Martwa Wisła up to the mouths of the Wisła Śmiała, Szkarpawa, Nogat, Wisła Królewiecka and along the inland waters of the Vistula Lagoon and the River Elbląg.

At present, the waterway E70 can be classified as class II waterway and part of the Noteć, from the point the Drawa River flows into the Bydgoszcz Canal, only meets Class Ib requirements. The waterway E70 is canalised with 22 barrages, one of which – the Czersko Polskie lock in Bydgoszcz – is a new structure opened in 1999. The remaining 21 locks are mostly non-electrified installations dating back to the turn of the twentieth century. The width of the stream varies from 16 to 25 metres, the minimum radii of the bends are 200 to 250 metres, and the minimum clearances under the bridges are 3.5 to 4 metres. The guaranteed depth of this route is between 1.2 to 1.5 metres and the maximum permitted speed limit for vessels is 8 km/h.