 a ship canal is a canal especially intended to accommodate ships used on the oceans, seas or lakes to which it is connected, as opposed to a barge canal intended to carry barges and other vessels specifically designed for river and/or canal navigation. because of the constraints of accommodating vessels capable of navigating large bodies of open water, a ship canal typically offers deeper water and higher bridge clearances that a barge canal of similar vessel length and width constraints. ship canals may be specially constructed from the start to accommodate ships, or less frequently they may be enlarged barge canals, or canalized  or channelized rivers. there are no specific minimum dimensions for ship canals, with the size being largely dictated by the size of ships in use nearby at the time of construction or enlargement. ship canals may be constructed for a number of reasons, including: # to create a shortcut and avoid lengthy detours. # to create a navigable shipping link between two land-locked seas or lakes. # to provide inland cities with a direct shipping link to the sea. # to provide an economical alternative to other options.  ==important ship canals== {| class="wikitable sortable" width=95% |- !width=15%|canal !width=10%|length !width=10%|lock depth !width-15%|dimensions !width=10%|location !width=40%|notes |- | white sea â baltic canal ||  ||  || 135m Ã 14.3 m Ã 3.5m ||  russia || *opened in 1933, is partly a canalised river, partly an artificial canal, and partly some natural lakes. *shallow depth limits modern vessels from using the canal. |- | rhine-main-danube canal ||  ||  || lock dimensions: 190m x 11.45m x 4m ||  germany || *opened in 1992, links the large rivers rhine and danube, and thus also the north sea and the black sea. |- | suez canal ||  || no locks, but  deep. ||  wide ||  egypt || *opened in 1869, links the mediterranean sea to the red sea. |- | volga-don canal ||  ||  || lock dimensions: 140m x 16.6m x 3.5m ||  russia || *opened in 1952, connects the black, azov, and caspian seas. |- | kiel canal ||  ||  || lock dimensions: 310m x 42m x 14m ||  germany || *opened in 1895. shortens the passage between the north sea and the baltic sea. |- | houston ship channel ||  ||  ||  wide || {{
Coastal_construction Ship_canals