According to the recent data released by the Yangtze Three Gorges Navigation Administration, since the opening of the Gezhouba ship lock on June 27, 1981, up until June 25, 2023, it operated 610,600 times in total, facilitating the passage of 2.652 million vessels and 78.473 million passengers, and the cargo throughput reached 2.12 billion tons.

　　It is reported that the Yangtze Three Gorges Navigation Administration has continuously improved the service and management capabilities of the ship lock by developing and applying new technologies, processes, and systems, including a large-scale synchronized lifting system for the sector gates, centralized control of three locks, and a self-pressurizing flushing device near the sill to prevent sedimentation. These advancements have significantly reduced equipment failure rates, shortened the downtime for maintenance and repairs, and increased the throughput capacity of the ship lock.

　　Over the past 42 years, the average times of daily operation of the Gezhouba ship lock have increased from 8 of the beginning stage to 49, and the average cargo throughput increased by about 20,000 tons per time. The annual throughput has also increased from less than 5 million tons to a record high of 163 million tons in 2022.

　　Currently, the Yangtze Three Gorges Navigation Administration is fully promoting the construction of the pilot project for building a “Transportation Powerhouse” with an investment of over 50 million yuan, known as the “Three Gorges and Gezhouba Ship Lock Monitoring and Management Facility Construction Project.” After the related systems are put into operation, they will provide the ship lock operators with a three-dimensional display that can accurately represent the current conditions, further enhancing the comprehensive monitoring and emergency support capabilities for vessel passage. This project aims to facilitate the leap forward in the operation and maintenance management of the Three Gorges and Gezhouba ship locks. (Reporters/Liu Jingjing & Bian Jianxin, Correspondents/Xiao Xiao & Nie Minghui)