A new mega project has begun on China's Yangtze River. On June 8, the Three Gorges New Shipping Channel project officially broke ground in Yichang, Hubei Province. The project will add a new shipping channel at the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydropower facility. Once completed, the annual two-way passing capacity at the Three Gorges Dam is expected to rise from 100 million tonnes to 336 million tonnes. Daily vessel traffic could increase from about 120 ships to more than 200. 

The Yangtze River is China's key water transport artery. It is also the world's busiest and largest inland waterway by cargo volume, known as the country's "golden waterway." The new channel is expected to bring faster passage, shorter waiting times, lower transport costs, and higher efficiency.