This photo taken on June 8, 2026 shows the construction site in an early-phase excavation zone of the Three Gorges new waterway project in Yichang, Central China's Hubei Province. China on Monday began construction of a mega waterway project, including what is expected to become the world's largest inland ship lock, in response to the rising shipping demand along the Yangtze, the world's third-longest river. Photo: Xinhua

China officially began construction of the Three Gorges new waterway project on Monday, including what is expected to become the world's largest inland ship lock, in response to the rising shipping demand along the Yangtze, the world's third-longest river, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

The project, China's first major landmark national project launched during the country's 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), consists of a new navigation passage at the Three Gorges Dam and an expansion of navigation capacity at the Gezhouba Dam. Designed to accommodate vessels of up to 10,000 tons, the project is unprecedented in scale and complexity. It follows more than a decade of feasibility studies and design work, supported by several decades of technological preparation, with a total investment of approximately 77.2 billion yuan ($11.4 billion), the Global Times has learned.

In fact, cargo traffic through the Three Gorges section of the Yangtze River, stretching from Yichang in Central China's Hubei Province to Chongqing Municipality, has grown rapidly over the years, Xu Jianzhong, a former water conservancy engineering expert with the Ministry of Water Resources, told the Global Times on Monday. 

What was originally designed to handle 100 million tons of cargo annually reached that target 19 years ahead of schedule, as freight demand along China's economic heartland continued to grow. 

In 2025, the total cargo throughput passing through the Three Gorges Dam reached 173 million tons, far exceeding its designed capacity, making it both necessary and urgent to accelerate the construction of the Three Gorges new waterway project, Xinhua reported. 

The project will support the high-quality development of the Yangtze River comprehensive transportation corridor, facilitate implementation of the Yangtze River Economic Belt strategy, contribute to the country's dual-circulation development pattern, and promote green development and ecological conservation, as reported by Xinhua. 

A mega construction for better capacity

The new waterway project consists of two parts, with one new navigation passage to be built on the northern side of the existing double-line ship lock at the Three Gorges Dam, including upstream and downstream approach channels and a double-line, five-stage ship lock system, with a total length of about 6,680 meters, according to the statement the project team sent to the Global Times. 

According to Hubei Daily, each lock line will consist of five lock chambers and six lock heads. Individual chambers will measure 280 meters in length and 40 meters in bottom width. 

The second part of the project involves the Gezhouba Dam, where the navigation-capacity expansion project will demolish the existing No. 3 ship lock, construct two new single-stage ship locks, and widen and deepen the upstream and downstream approach channels.

"The significance of establishing a new waterway passage goes beyond increasing the carrying capacity of the Yangtze River's 'golden waterway.' It will also help promote economic and social development, industrial upgrading, and transformation in regions along the river, particularly in the upper reaches," Xu said.

Xu noted that the Yangtze River Economic Belt spans 11 provinces and municipalities, accounting for more than 40 percent of China's population and GDP. Nearly 200 of the country's top 500 enterprises are located along the river. A key pillar supporting the efficient operation of this economic belt is the Yangtze River's shipping network.

"It will create more favorable conditions for the free flow of economic factors and deeper external cooperation among provinces along the Yangtze River Economic Belt, while playing an important role in reducing overall logistics costs across society," Xu said.

Upon completion, the Three Gorges Dam will have four ship-lock lines plus a ship lift, with a total annual throughput capacity of 336 million tons. The Gezhouba Dam will operate with four ship-lock lines and a total annual throughput capacity of 360 million tons, per Xinhua.

A project official also told the Global Times that construction of the new navigation passage will not affect current operations of the existing Three Gorges ship locks. During construction of the Gezhouba navigation expansion project, vessel traffic through the Sanjiang Channel will be subject to control measures, causing only localized impacts on navigation through the Gezhouba Dam.

After completion, the new ship locks and the existing Three Gorges lock system will be jointly operated. Passenger vessels will be directed through either the Three Gorges ship lift or the existing locks, while larger vessels with draft requirements exceeding the limits of the current locks will be routed through the new passage, according to the official.

The official noted that by optimizing vessel allocation and improving lock chamber utilization, the combined system will maximize navigation efficiency and fully leverage the shipping capacity of the Three Gorges Dam.