Heavy rainfall levels have prompted the Yangtze Maritime Authority to implement an emergency measure of single lane operations at the intersection of the Yangtze River and its largest tributary, the Hanjiang. The measure means that, between 9:00am and 5:00pm, only vessels sailing downstream are allowed to pass the intersection; and between 5:00pm and 9:00am the following day, only vessels sailing upstream are allowed to pass. The measure, which was introduced on 18 September, will remain in place until this section of the waterway is deemed safe.

The Hanjiang River is experiencing its biggest flood in 20 years, whereas the water level in the Yangtze is relatively low and flowing at a slower speed because of the water storage cycle of the Three Gorges Dam. This is creating hazards for passing vessels at the intersection where shoals are extending 300 metres into the middle of the Yangtze.

The Yangtze River Administration activated the Yellow Emergency Code on 19 September to safeguard shipping conditions in this section. Engineers from the Yangtze Waterway Bureau are measuring the changes in the shipping channel every two hours. Special dredgers are being deployed to tackle the shoals and maintain the official Guaranteed Water Level. Workers have also been dispatched to check buoys and relocate them as the situation requires.