Jiangxi’s Largest One-Time Investment in Water Transport—Yuan River Waterway Improvement Project Commences Construction

Recently, the main civil engineering project of the Longweizhou Hub section of the Yuan River Waterway Improvement Project, undertaken by CCCC Third Harbor Engineering Bureau Co., Ltd., commenced construction, marking the project’s entry into the substantive construction phase.

The Yuan River Waterway Improvement Project is Jiangxi Province’s largest one-time investment in water transport to date and the largest single investment project in Xinyu City since its re-establishment as a municipality. It is part of the provincial inland waterway network’s “Two Horizontal, One Vertical, Ten Branches” layout. The planned waterway stretches approximately 103.5 kilometers, starting from the Haoji Railway Bridge in Xinyu and ending at the Yuan River’s confluence with the Ganjiang River in Hehuguan Village, Zhangshu City.

The project primarily includes the construction of the new Longweizhou and Huzhou navigation hubs, the renovation of the Shizhou Hub, the dredging and improvement of the Yuan River’s Hehuguan–Xinyu section, bridge engineering (demolition of 5 bridges and reconstruction of 4 bridges at original sites), as well as supporting and specialized works such as smart waterways, smart ship locks, ecological restoration, reservoir protection, and cable relocation.

The Longweizhou Hub section is designed as a multi-functional navigation and power generation hub prioritizing shipping while integrating flood control and power generation. The complexity of construction is compounded by the Yuan River’s four-month annual flood season, which halts work, posing significant challenges to the project team’s execution capabilities.

To address these challenges, a preliminary planning team formed by departments from the Sixth Company of CCCC Third Harbor Bureau conducted advanced technical planning under higher-level guidance. They explored the application of new technologies and processes, guiding the project team in construction simulations and site layout planning.

In terms of BIM technology, the team conducted collision checks between design models and construction schedules, identifying potential design omissions, component size errors, and welding deviations. The planning team collaborated with stakeholders to resolve these issues in advance, mitigating quality risks during construction.

Upon completion, the upgraded waterway will significantly increase vessel tonnage capacity, effectively reducing logistics costs for enterprises along the route, promoting the shift of bulk cargo transportation from road to water, and alleviating road transport pressure. As a tributary of the Ganjiang River, the enhanced Yuan River will strengthen connectivity between western Jiangxi and the Ganjiang River, Poyang Lake, and the Yangtze River’s Golden Waterway, supporting Jiangxi’s integration into the Yangtze River Economic Belt strategy and boosting regional water transport competitiveness.（by Wu Yifan and Yu Yanqiu）