China has formally begun construction on an ambitious project to enable the passage of larger vessels and streamline logistics along the Yangtze River, reports the South China Morning Post.
The centrepiece of the planned RMB 77.2 billion ($11.4 billion) infrastructure buildout, which looks to span nearly a decade, is a series of mega ship locks–colossal structures also known as “water elevators” or “water staircases” that are built into a dam.
The project is considered the biggest infrastructure undertaking along the Yangtze in decades, eclipsing the scale of previous works since the river was dammed in 1997 for flood control and hydropower. Its urgency stems from surging shipping demand that has overwhelmed existing facilities built in 2003.