BEIJING, June 11 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday broke ground on a mega waterway project along the Yangtze River, the world's third-longest river and busiest inland waterway.

With a total investment of nearly 77.21 billion yuan (about 11.33 billion U.S. dollars), the project is expected to almost double the annual throughput capacity of the existing Three Gorges shipping hub. It will not only relieve the mounting navigation pressure on the Yangtze, but support regional development and strengthen economic circulation.

The move marks the latest step in China's broader effort to build a more efficient and resilient transport network.

Under its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), China has pledged to advance a modern infrastructure system through a series of major transport projects, including the completion of key high-speed railway corridors and expressway networks, the upgrading of inland waterways, and the development of world-class port and airport clusters.

"Transportation plays a leading, foundational and strategic role in economic development," said Song Guohua, dean of the National College for Excellent Engineers, Beijing Jiaotong University, noting that efforts should be made to let transportation better serve major national strategies, promote balanced regional development and improve people's lives.

The push is already visible across the country.

In south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the 134.2-kilometer Pinglu Canal has achieved full-channel connectivity and entered the final phase ahead of its expected inauguration in September. It will accommodate vessels of up to 5,000 tonnes and become one of the world's highest-grade river-to-sea shipping canals.

Meanwhile, the final bridge on the Chongqing-Wanzhou high-speed railway in southwest China was recently completed, paving the way for the line's planned opening in 2027. And by year-end, Beijing's subway line 22, jointly built and operated by the capital city and neighboring Hebei Province, is expected to be basically ready for service.

According to the Ministry of Transport, fixed-asset investment in the transport sector reached 894.4 billion yuan in the first four months of the year.

Major infrastructure projects not only generate immediate investment demand and support economic growth, but also improve regional connectivity and strengthen the foundation for development, said Fu Yifu, a researcher at Jiangsu Su Merchants Bank.

Yuan Shuai, a researcher at the China City Development Academy, said such projects lay the foundation for future industrial growth and improvements in public welfare, consistent with the requirements of high-quality development.

China has made major progress in expanding its transport network in recent years, which now spans more than 6 million kilometers in total length, the largest in the world. Every day, around 30 million passenger vehicles travel on expressways, high-speed railways carry roughly 10 million passengers, civil aviation transports about 2 million passengers, and courier companies handle around 550 million parcels.

The transport network is also getting smarter and greener.

An intelligent expressway section opened Monday in Guangxi. The route between Pingnan and Rongxian counties has scrapped traditional toll booths entirely, replacing them with AI-powered self-service machines that significantly enhance efficiency.

Data showed more than 7,800 kilometers of expressways across China have already undergone digital and intelligent upgrades, with a batch of smart highway projects now in operation.

At sea, the world's largest pure-electric intelligent container ship set sail from Ningbo-Zhoushan Port on April 15. The vessel uses containerized battery packs as its primary power source, and is expected to save 580 tonnes of fuel and cut carbon dioxide emissions by more than 1,400 tonnes annually. Equipped with all-weather visual perception and autonomous route planning, it explores the new front for green and intelligent shipping.

Across the transport sector, technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), digital twins and vehicle-road-cloud coordination are being applied on highways, in ports and across urban transport systems.

"Big data, AI and new energy technologies are profoundly reshaping the face of transport," said Liu Wei, minister of transport, in a recent article.

During the 2026-2030 period, China will step up efforts to upgrade transport infrastructure, accelerate digital transformation, expand the use of clean-energy vehicles, and build green freight and shipping corridors, in an effort to cultivate new drivers of growth, the minister said.

From green-energy vehicles to smart management networks, the deep integration of digital and intelligent technologies is impelling China's transport sector towards a new phase of high-quality development, experts said.