World’s largest dam to get giant water staircase to let 11,000-ton ships pass faster
SMRTR summary
A "water staircase" nine stories tall is about to reshape the heart of China's economy.
China has broken ground on a massive new ship lock system at the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydropower dam. The $11.4 billion project will take over nine years to complete and nearly double cargo capacity along the Yangtze River, from about 191 million tons annually to 370 million tons.
The existing locks, officials say, have become a bottleneck. As the Ministry of Transport put it, "Even the boldest planning failed to anticipate the huge rise in passengers and cargo flows along the Yangtze today."
The Yangtze corridor already generates more than 40 percent of China's total economic output and supports nearly half its population. The new five-stage lock system will allow larger vessels to move more efficiently, cutting transportation costs and easing pressure on a river that has quietly become one of the most important economic arteries on Earth.
SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to Interesting Engineering.
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