By 2035, high-grade waterways in Hubei will reach 2,700 kilometers.

Recently, the People's Government of Hubei Province officially issued the "Hubei Province Port and Waterway Layout Plan (2035)" (referred to as the plan), outlining the blueprint for water transport development over the next fifteen years. The plan proposes that by 2035, the mileage of high-grade waterways of 1,000 tons and above in Hubei Province will reach approximately 2,700 kilometers, and the overall level of water transport development will enter the ranks of advanced international inland waterways.

The plan specifies that Hubei will establish a new water transport pattern of "dual corridors leading, four axes radiating, three clusters coordinating, and multiple hubs supporting." The east-west Yangtze River Golden Waterway and the north-south Han-Xiang-Gui water transport corridor will form a "cross-shaped" main framework, connecting the Yangtze River Delta in the east, Chengdu-Chongqing in the west, Beibu Gulf and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao in the south, and the Central Plains urban cluster in the north, completely opening up Hubei's water transport "main arteries." Focusing on the Wuhan metropolitan area, Yijingjing'en, and Xiang-Ten-Sui-Shen three major port clusters, the plan emphasizes the construction of 5 main ports and 10 important ports to achieve complementary and coordinated development of port functions.

In terms of waterway layout, the plan proposes the construction of a "one horizontal, one vertical, one network, multiple branches" system. "One horizontal" refers to the Hubei section of the Yangtze River trunk line, which will reach first-class standards by 2035; "One vertical" refers to the Han-Xiang-Gui water transport corridor, with the Han River below Xiangyang reaching second-class or higher standards. At the same time, a high-grade waterway circle in the Jianghan Plain will be created, improving tributary waterways in the Three Gorges Reservoir area, eastern Hubei, northwest Hubei, and southwest Hubei, ultimately forming a connected and integrated waterway layout.

Regarding ports, the five main ports have distinct focuses: Wuhan Port will serve as the container hub in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, Huangshi Port will focus on bulk commodities, Yichang Port will concentrate on Three Gorges logistics and tourism passenger transport, Jingzhou Port will be positioned as a coal transfer hub, and Xiangyang Port will radiate to the Han River basin and areas such as Henan. Ten important ports, including Enshi, Xianning, Huanggang, and Ezhou, will simultaneously support industrial clustering along the Yangtze River.

Focusing on the safety of the industrial chain, the plan establishes seven specialized transportation systems for containers, coal, steel ore, grain, agricultural products, chemicals, commercial vehicles, and passenger transport. In terms of passenger transport, the plan aims to cultivate distinctive water tourism products such as Yichang's "Two Dams and One Gorge" classic tour and Wuhan's "Two Rivers and Four Banks" riverside night tour.

The plan outlines five major categories of key projects: accelerating the construction of the new Three Gorges water transport channel, the second-line ship lock at the Han River hub, and inter-provincial connecting waterways; focusing on port areas such as Yangluo, Qipanzhou, Baiyang, Yanka, and Tangbai River to promote port quality upgrades; speeding up the construction of the "last mile" of rail-water intermodal transport and promoting "one-box system" and "one-bill system"; tackling green ship technologies such as pure electric and methanol, advancing port smart upgrades and the Han River intelligent dispatch system; and intensifying the Wuhan-to-Shanghai "daily service" route while expanding near-sea routes to Japan, South Korea, and Russia.

Additionally, Hubei will rely on three major emergency rescue bases in southeastern, northwestern, and southwestern Hubei to support the construction of emergency docks and strengthen strategic material reserve guarantees. By 2050, the mileage of high-grade waterways of 1,000 tons and above will reach approximately 3,200 kilometers, with cross-regional water transport corridors fully unblocked, providing strong support for Hubei to fully establish itself as a transportation powerhouse.