On September 26, 2024, the Jingjiang River section, a key area in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, welcomed the grand launch of the second phase of the waterway regulation project (referred to as the Jingjiang Phase II Project) in Jingzhou City, Hubei Province. This major measure aims to significantly enhance the transportation capacity of the Yangtze River as a golden waterway, ensuring the comprehensive connection of the waterway from Yichang, Hubei to Chongqing at a depth of 4.5 meters, injecting strong impetus into the coordinated development of regional economy..

The Jingjiang section of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River starts from Zhicheng in Hubei Province and ends at Chenglingji in Hunan Province, with a total length of 347.2 kilometers. It consists of 33 waterways, accounting for about one eighth of the entire Yangtze River main waterway. The riverbed evolution is severe, the shoals change frequently, and the navigation channels are extremely unstable. It is the "neck" section of the Yangtze River for shipping in the middle reaches. In 2013, through the implementation of the first phase of the Jingjiang River channel regulation project, the minimum maintenance depth of the river section was increased from 3.2 meters to 3.5-3.8 meters, and the navigation potential was initially released.

The Jingjiang Phase II project starts from Yuheping in Jingzhou and ends at Chenglingji in Yueyang, with a total length of about 247 kilometers. It will carry out channel regulation and dredging on five beach sections, including Wakukou Waterway, Zhoutian River Section, Yaojian Dahe Section, Tiepu to Xiongjiazhou River Section, and Xiongjiazhou to Chenglingji River Section, while simultaneously implementing navigation standard engineering, new channel infrastructure construction engineering, and ecological engineering. The construction period of the project is 36 months, with an investment of 2.065 billion yuan. It is expected to basically complete the construction of the main projects such as building renovation by the end of 2025.

The Yangtze River is the mother river of the Chinese nation, and the freight volume of the Yangtze River trunk line has been ranked first in the world for more than ten years in terms of inland waterway transportation. The implementation of this project will further unleash the shipping potential of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and contribute to the creation of a golden waterway for the entire Yangtze River basin. At the same time, with the improvement of waterway conditions, it will also promote the development of large-scale, standardized, and intelligent Yangtze River ships and ports, reduce logistics costs, improve transportation efficiency, and reduce ship pollution. After the completion of the project, the lowest water depth of 4.5 meters during the dry season in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River will reach Yichang, and 5000 ton ships can directly reach Chongqing through the Jingjiang River section throughout the year. It is expected to create direct benefits of 950 million yuan and drive GDP of 17.432 billion yuan annually. (This article is from the official website of Jian Dao: www.seetao.com. Reproduction without permission is prohibited, otherwise it will be prosecuted. Please indicate Jian Dao website+original link when reprinting.) Jian Dao website mechanical column editor/Zhou Yingwen