On the banks of the Yangtze River, the grand plan of the Three Gorges Hub's new passage is awakening from the mountains. With the groundbreaking of the second phase of the on-site transportation road project, three highways extend like blood towards the excavation area, paving the way for the main construction of this national level water conservancy structure.

The construction of the second phase of the transportation road in the new channel of the Three Gorges Hub has officially started. This project is the core supporting project of the first national level major landmark project in the 15th Five Year Plan period. After completion, it will build a complete transportation network for the excavation operation area of the hub, providing solid transportation support for the large-scale construction of the main project.

Complete supporting facilities system

This project includes the construction of three new highways, namely Highway 2, Highway 3, and Highway 4, along with the simultaneous construction of ecological and environmental protection, soil and water conservation, temporary construction facilities, construction safety monitoring, and water flow control. It will create a fully functional, green, and safe on-site comprehensive transportation system.

Clear division of labor among the three roads

The three roads have clear functional positioning and complement each other, and adopt staggered construction mode to promote construction. The core main road, No. 3 Highway, has a total length of 9.183 kilometers and is built according to the first-class road standards in water conservancy and hydropower fields. It connects all construction areas of the hub and can meet multiple needs such as the transportation of waste slag, the entry of large equipment, and the transportation of engineering materials. It is constructed in three sections and is expected to be fully opened to traffic by the end of September 2027. The total length of Highway 2 is 2.474 kilometers, which is a secondary road within the site. It mainly undertakes the excavation and transportation of waste materials from the upstream approach channel, and is planned to be completed by the end of December 2026. The total length of Highway 4 is 1.927 kilometers, both of which are secondary roads within the site. It mainly serves the transportation of excavated waste from the upstream approach channel and the main body of the ship lock. It will be put into use by the end of March 2027.

The on-site road is the core transportation guarantee for the excavation of the ship lock, pouring of the lock chamber, and entry of large equipment, "said Dong Yakang, the on-site manager of the Three Gorges New Channel Project Management Department. The road project is a pre supporting project for the main excavation construction, and the project has laid a solid foundation for the synchronous construction of multiple working faces and the subsequent large-scale construction of the lock chamber. Keywords: Three Gorges Dam, New Channel, Water Conservancy

It is understood that the project is undertaken by China Water Resources and Hydropower Fifth Engineering Bureau Co., Ltd. During the construction period, the project department will strictly implement the lifelong responsibility system for engineering quality, establish a quality responsibility system for all staff and positions, and coordinate the progress, quality, safety, and environmental protection work through standardized and refined construction. We will make every effort to ensure the efficient progress of the main project of the Three Gorges Hub New Channel and assist in the high-quality implementation and commissioning of national level major water conservancy projects.Editor/Gong Ziwei