Posted on February 7, 2017
Dredges operating in the heavily trafficked mouth of the Yangtze River have reached a key goal, deepening navigation lanes to a “guaranteed” depth of 12.5 meters, which is about the draft of a Panamax vessel.
Reaching the goal “guarantees a smooth and secure channel for the mouth of the Yangtze River,” the Ministry of Transport recently said on its website.
Thorough silt clearing and channeling on the lower reaches of the Yangtze for ship traffic is considered part of China’s Belt and Road effort to step up commercial, ocean-going trade links with countries in Southeast Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
The dredging also complements efforts to boost economic development in cities on the river’s upper reaches and improve marine safety in the Shanghai region.
Having reached the 12.5 meter goal, the transport ministry said, regional river control authorities will now use dredging to maintain that depth while continuing research aimed at improving silt management and channel engineering in the Yangtze estuary.
Source: Break bulk
