Statistics from the Three Gorges Dam Administration show that the average waiting time for cargo vessels passing the five-step shiplocks has been halved to 4.2 hours; passenger vessels are still given priority and they now have to wait just an hour.

The reduction in waiting times is a direct result of a monitoring system that the administration has installed with an investment of more than Rmb70m. The system involves a control centre and seven monitoring stations that track the movement of more than 3,000 vessels entering the area. It allows all vessels to apply online for a time slot to pass the shiplocks; previously vessels had to book days in advance, which often led to slot times being wasted.