The construction of four upgraded Yangtze waterways of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces have been approved by the Ministry of Transport after briefings recently held in Huzhou, Zhejiang province, Xinhua reported.

Yangtze high-speed waterways which link big and medium cities like Huzhou, Jiaxing and Shanghai, connects to the main inland waterways such as the Hanghuxi route, the Dongzong route, the Jinghang Canal, the Zhajiasu route and the Hangshen route.

After Huzhuo section of Hujiashen route was completed, it was directly upgraded from the original 100 tonnes to 1,000 tonnes, thus becoming the first inland waterway with a 1,000-tonne capacity in Zhejiang province.

The 22.2 kilometre Lianghuai section of Jinghang canal was upgraded from three fairways to two fairways, elevating its one-way shipping capacity from 50 million tonnes to 80 million tonnes, which enables a 2,000-tonne ship to pass, and significantly reduces the transportation pressure of the busiest section in North Jiangsu canal.

When the Changzhou downtown section is complete, it can solve existing problems of shipping congestion and the narrow of fairways in this urban area, with elevating the single through capacity from 500 tonnes to 1,000 tonnes. Hence, the shoal and the underwater obstructions in the section of Suqian City will be effectively cleared, making the course more spacious and greatly improving the navigation conditions.

As the Yangtze River is the most developed inland shipping network in China, it is imperative to eliminate remaining obstructions as river transport enjoys comparative advantages having a large capacity, low energy consumption, small investment and low cost.