waterway (canals and inland waterways) running 31 km (19 miles) south to north between Ghent, Belg., and the Western Scheldt estuary at Terneuzen, Neth. The canal was built in 1824–27 and was reconstructed in 1881. It was further enlarged during the early 20th century and reopened in 1910, and it was again enlarged between 1954 and 1968 to enable Ghent's port to handle 80,000-ton ships. A lock system at Terneuzen provides passage between the canal and the estuary. The canal is about 150 metres (500 feet) wide in The Netherlands but broadens to 200 metres (650 feet) inside Belgium, the depth being 13.5 metres (44 feet). Dredging of the canal entrance was undertaken in the early 1990s to enable the canal to take 125,000-ton ships.