Main construction begins on Gezhouba navigation capacity expansion

By Chen Zai

On October 10, cofferdam work began for the Gezhouba navigation capacity expansion component of the Three Gorges new waterway project, marking the start of its main construction phase.

Rendering of the upstream and downstream cofferdam construction.

The upstream and downstream cofferdams are the first step in the expansion work, serving as temporary barriers to hold back water during construction. The upstream and downstream cofferdams will be 835.94 and 960.85 meters long, respectively

Earlier that day, Gezhouba Dam’s No. 3 ship lock closed after its final vessel passed through, ending 45 years of operation. As part of the expansion, the lock will be demolished and replaced by two new locks, each measuring 280 meters long, 40 meters wide, and 8 meters deep, allowing vessels of up to 10,000 tons to pass through the Gezhouba Dam.

On October 10, the 45-year-old Gezhouba No. 3 Ship Lock (circled in green) ceased operations after completing its final navigation task. Photo by Huang Xiang.

During construction, the No.2 ship lock will remain in operation.
 

The Gezhouba ship locks began operating in 1981. In 2025, their cargo throughput exceeded 172 million ton.