If 77.2 billion yuan falls, the Yangtze River will widen another journey. On June 8, 2026, the Three Gorges Water Transport New Channel Project officially started construction in Yichang, Hubei Province. This is the largest comprehensive project on the Yangtze River trunk line after the Three Gorges Project and the first national major landmark project during the 15th Five Year Plan period.

The freight volume of the Yangtze River has consistently ranked first in the world's inland rivers for many years, with 85% of iron ore, 83% of coal, and 85% of foreign trade goods transported along the river relying on it. By 2023, the freight volume of the Three Gorges Hub will reach 174 million tons, exceeding the design level by 73%. But behind the prosperity lies a bottleneck: research predicts that the demand for locks will reach 220 million tons by 2035, rising to 250 million tons by 2050, and long-term overloading of ship locks has become a foregone conclusion.

Super engineering solves the throat dilemma

This project is divided into two parts: the construction of a new channel at the Three Gorges Dam and the expansion of navigation capacity at Gezhouba. The navigation capacity will be enhanced through the construction and renovation of a giant ship lock. After completion, the Three Gorges will form a four line lock and ship lift pattern, with a total throughput capacity of 336 million tons; Gezhouba has formed a four line ship lock with a total throughput capacity of 360 million tons. Academician Niu Xinqiang predicts that the one-way throughput capacity of the hub will jump from about 50 million tons to 168 million tons by 2050.

A river levees half of China

The Yangtze River is the only low-cost long-distance transportation corridor in inland China, with freight rates only one-fifth of railways. Among the 42 industrial parks in Chongqing, 25 are distributed along the river, and industries such as automobiles, metallurgy, and building materials are all laid out along the river. After the completion of the project, about 18 billion yuan can be saved annually due to the improvement of navigation efficiency and the replacement of land transportation. Bulk commodities in southwestern regions such as Chengdu and Chongqing will be transported by river and sea at a lower cost. Keywords: water conservancy projects, Three Gorges water transportation new channel

When the navigation capacity of 336 million tons becomes a reality, the Yangtze River is no longer just a river - it is the main artery of China's economic cycle, and this expansion is to install another powerful pump for this main artery.Editor/Cheng Liting