en.Wedoany.com Reported - China's Three Gorges Waterway New Channel Project officially commenced construction on June 8, 2026, on the north side of the Three Gorges Dam area in Yiling District, Yichang City, Hubei Province. With a static total investment of approximately 77.208 billion yuan, this is the largest comprehensive project on the main stem of the Yangtze River since the Three Gorges Project and the first major national landmark project to start during China's "15th Five-Year Plan" period. The project comprises two main components: the new channel for the Three Gorges hub and the expansion of the Gezhouba navigation capacity. The construction period spans 112 months (including a 12-month project preparation phase), involving an estimated total earth and rock excavation of approximately 160 million cubic meters and a total concrete pouring volume of about 10 million cubic meters.
The Three Gorges Waterway New Channel Project is located in the Three Gorges Water Control Project area. Its main construction includes two core projects. The new channel for the Three Gorges hub involves constructing a new double-line, continuous five-step ship lock on the north side of the existing Three Gorges ship lock, with a total line length of 6,680 meters, designed for 10,000-ton-class vessels. The Gezhouba navigation expansion involves demolishing the existing No. 3 ship lock, constructing two new single-step ship locks, and expanding and upgrading the upstream and downstream approach channels. Upon completion, the Three Gorges hub will feature a configuration of four ship locks plus a ship lift, with an annual throughput capacity of 336 million tons. The Gezhouba hub will have a four-ship-lock configuration, with an annual throughput capacity of 360 million tons, and the average waiting time for vessels will be reduced to within 24 hours.
The project itself constitutes a massive consumption scenario for sand and gravel aggregates. According to project planning estimates, the Three Gorges hub new channel project and the Gezhouba navigation expansion project together require approximately 9.31 million tons (equivalent to 6.21 million cubic meters) of fine concrete aggregate, all of which will be specially produced by the Xia'anxi sand and gravel processing system. When including indirect demand from supporting infrastructure, along-route transportation network upgrades, and resettlement area construction, the total sand and gravel demand is expected to reach tens of millions of tons or even hundreds of millions of tons. The project imposes strict requirements on sand and gravel products regarding particle shape, gradation, and mud content, which will drive suppliers to enhance production processes and quality control standards.
Furthermore, upon completion, the project will reshape the sand and gravel transportation pattern on the Yangtze River. Currently, chronic congestion at the Three Gorges ship lock severely restricts the efficiency of "west-to-east" sand and gravel transport, leading to high transportation costs. After the navigation capacity is improved, sand and gravel resources from upstream regions such as Chongqing and Sichuan can more efficiently reach markets in Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, and even the Yangtze River Delta, with logistics costs expected to decrease significantly.
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