The canal pound close to the Meuse has a much lower level than that west of Panheel Lock.

In South Limburg, it had rich coal deposits, but almost none of these could be exploited due to problems with groundwater.

[3] This design had locks suitable for a Rhine ship of 2,000 tons, with a length of 200 m, beam of 12 m and draft of 2.80 m.[4] In 1914 the canalization between Maasbracht and Grave was brought on the government budget.

Before this was granted, an investigation was done whether it would not be cheaper to dig a canal from Maasbracht to the Zuid-Willemsvaart in combination with an upgrade of the latter.

This alternative proved more expensive, but it was found that the construction of a (smaller) canal from Wessem to Nederweert would be useful.

[6] In 1917 the design of the Wessem-Nederweert Canal was ready, and a disappropriation law was brought to parliament.

Air draft for the fixed bridges would be 5.20 m. [7] The disappropriation did take a later expansion to 2,000 tons ships into account.

Therefore, Panheel Lock would get storage basins, which reduced its water consumption by 60%, leaving a projected average loss of 0.54 m3/s.

[12] Almost as soon as it was opened, the Wessem-Nederweert Canal became busy, because it made the shortcut of the Meuse even shorter between 's-Hertogenbosch and Maasbracht.

The original idea to create all these works, the transport of Limburg coal, started slowly.

[15] In July 1929 the coal trestle was finally taken into use, with Rijkswaterstaat itself providing rail transport to Maasbracht.

Navigation from the western parts of the Netherlands to Maastricht could start to use big ships that did not fit the Wessem-Nederweert Canal.

Also, some traffic to Liège, especially German coal continued to use the canal because of the high toll at the Lanaye Locks.

[19] After World War II, the extraction of gravel on the Meuse expanded to an industrial schale, especially for making concrete.

[23] For the Wessem-Nederweert Canal the plan foresaw that it had to be dredged out 30–50 cm, and that a bridged had to be lifted to allow a higher air draft.

[24] In October 1982 the minister of Transport and Water Management announced his decision to upgrade the canal.

[28] In October 1986 an 89 m long culvert zinker was placed to channel the Tungelroysche Beek below the canal.

Minister Hanja Maij-Weggen promoted the canal, and the part of the Zuid-Willemsvaart that connected to Belgium, to a national waterway.