(January 20, 2006) The temporary cofferdam in front of the Three Gorges Dam was demolished May 1, introducing the next phase of construction.

At 9:08 a.m. (Beijing Time) yesterday, the one-kilometer-long (1,090-yard) cofferdam in front of the Three Gorges Dam was demolished after an 18-second string of 555 explosions. As the sound of the explosions echoed, the cofferdam, formed in 1997, completed its historical task, and the waters of the Yangtze River surged into the basin of the dam. The collapse of the cofferdam means that the second phase of the Three Gorges Dam Project is ready for operation, an executive of the China Yantze Three Gorges Project Development Co. told Renmin Ribao (People’s Daily) at the site. The dam is 2,309 meters (2,517 yards) long and 185 meters (202 yards) high above sea level. The project calls for the placement of more than 18 million cubic meters (23 million cubic yards) of cement. In order to guarantee unimpeded navigation over the Yantze River, the pouring of the cement is divided into two phases. After the river was dammed in 1997, under the protection of the cofferdam, cement placement for the 1,600-meter-long (1,744-yard) second phase began. This section of the dam lies on the main riverbed and is left of the diversion channel. Builders poured more than 12 million cubic meters (16 million cubic yards) of cement, and the average height of the dam reached 167 meters (182 yards) above sea level. It already has the capacity of holding waters up to 135 meters (147 yards) high. The second phase of the project is composed of 23 water-discharge sections, a plant section installed with 14 large-scale water turbines and a water-block section. Turbines that will start to generate power in 2003 will also be installed here. Construction of the third phase of the dam, more than 600 meters (654 yards) long and to be installed with 12 turbines, is expected to begin after the damming of the diversion channel, which is scheduled at the end of this year.

China Online, January 20, 2006