en.Wedoany.com Reported - At a press conference held by the State Council Information Office this afternoon, Yang Huaxiong, Director of the Water Transport Bureau of the Ministry of Transport, stated that a batch of landmark water transport projects, represented by the Pinglu Canal and the New Three Gorges Water Transport Channel, are being accelerated.
On June 8 this year, construction of the New Three Gorges Water Transport Channel commenced; the main works of the Pinglu Canal began on May 23, 2023, and are now largely completed with full water flow achieved, with lock water-filling tests proceeding as planned.
In addition, a number of major water transport projects are progressing in an orderly manner.
Mainline waterways are being upgraded and expanded in capacity. Currently, the second phase of the Jingjiang River section of the middle Yangtze River channel project has completed its main works, allowing 5,000-ton vessels to reach Chongqing year-round. The second phase of the Yangtze River Estuary South Channel regulation project commenced on May 26 this year, and upon completion, will enable 5,000-ton vessels to navigate during all tides. The 3,000-ton channel project on the Xijiang River mainline from Nanning to Guigang is under accelerated construction, and once completed, 3,000-ton vessels will be able to navigate the entire Xijiang mainline.
Key tributary waterways are being upgraded and enhanced. The Yuanhe River channel improvement project in Jiangxi Province will allow 1,000-ton vessels to navigate upon completion. The comprehensive development project for the Minjiang River navigation and power generation in Sichuan Province includes four cascade hubs and an 81-kilometer channel regulation project on the Minjiang River, expected to be fully completed and operational by 2030. After completion, the section of the Minjiang River from Leshan to Yibin will be navigable year-round for 1,000-ton vessels.
Bottlenecks and choke points in inland water transport are being continuously addressed. The Wujiang Baima navigation-power junction project is under accelerated construction, and upon completion, will open the "last mile" for waterway access from the Chongqing-Guizhou region to the Yangtze River. The Baise water control project navigation facility is progressing in an orderly manner, and once completed, the Youjiang River will resume full navigation. The 1,000-ton navigation structure project at the Longtan Hydropower Station on the Hongshui River has commenced construction, and upon completion, will enable full navigation on the entire Hongshui River.
