Installation of metal structures for the three major shipping hubs along the Pinglu Canal in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region was completed on Saturday, signaling the completion of the main construction works at the sites.
Stretching 134.2 kilometers, the Pinglu Canal is a flagship project on China's landmark international trade corridor, the New Western Land-sea Corridor. The canal features three cascade hubs, Madao, Qishi, and Youth.
At the Madao hub, the construction team has connected the last set of ship lock gates to the hydraulic hoist.
"So far, the estimated investment completion rate of the Pinglu Canal has reached 95.5 percent. About 93 percent of waterway project has been completed. The Nanning section has been put into operation. Over 95 percent of the overall project has been finished. In the next step, the Pinglu Canal project will prioritize commissioning of hub facilities, accelerate excavation of the remaining earth and rock for the waterway, and advance construction of supporting infrastructure, ensuring full completion and opening to navigation by September 2026," said Cheng Yaofei, head of the Pinglu Canal project's construction headquarters.
Once fully operational, the Pinglu Canal will serve as a major river-sea corridor in southwest China, linking the main stream of the Xijiang River, an important southern trade route, directly to the sea. This will establish the shortest, most cost-effective, and most direct shipping route from Guangxi and China's southwest to ASEAN markets.
Main shipping hub construction of key canal project completed in Guangxi
