The main structure of the Gezhouba temporary terminal for the new Three Gorges waterway has been completed.

On September 5, the main structure of the Gezhouba temporary dock's land area for the new Three Gorges shipping channel was completed, providing basic support for material transportation required for the subsequent demolition of the ship lock, channel expansion, and comprehensive construction of the new lock.

The Gezhouba temporary dock is located on Shangdaoti Road in Xiling District, Yichang City, approximately 200 meters downstream of the Xidaxi Bridge on the Yangtze River. The dock's front area is equipped with three berths, primarily responsible for tasks such as transporting waste materials during the project construction, loading, unloading, and transferring bulk materials like steel, sand, gravel, and large construction equipment, as well as providing docking for ships. It is considered the "lifeline" project to ensure efficient and orderly construction. This project is undertaken by the Second Harbor Engineering Bureau of China Communications Construction Company.

The dock's harbor basin has a water depth of 8 meters. If a direct underwater excavation method were used, it would face issues of low efficiency and high costs. "To address this problem, we first retained the outer rock ridge to act as a 'cofferdam,' transforming the water-based construction site into a land-based factory," said Shan Xiaodong, deputy project manager of the Second Harbor Engineering Bureau of China Communications Construction Company. The construction team adopted a plan to reserve the water-isolating rock ridge: first retaining the outer rock ridge to form a closed dry foundation pit, enabling all structural construction to be carried out on dry land. Once the main structure meets standards, the rock ridge will be broken in sections to dredge the harbor basin. This plan reduced safety risks associated with water-based construction while balancing construction quality, cost control, and progress requirements.

Ma Zhonggang, the section manager for the Gezhouba, Zhaojiagou temporary docks, and Citangwan waste disposal site (Phase I) project, stated that the completion of the main structure of the Gezhouba temporary dock signifies the basic formation of a logistics transfer system composed of the two temporary docks and the Citangwan waste disposal site. This system has opened up two major channels for the entry of construction materials and the outward transportation of waste soil, providing essential material transfer conditions for the subsequent construction of the Gezhouba shipping capacity expansion project.