In the opening year of the twelfth five-year plan , Sichuan steps forward in the building of western comprehensive transportation hub. On Jan. 12th, Leshan Port mobilization meeting was held in Leshan Port area. The construction of Leshan Port is divided into three phases with a 8-billion yuan estimated investment. After completion, 3000-tonnage ships can directly reach Shanghai form Leshan, thus Chengdu economic region will have access to the sea.
Leshan Port is the fourth port since our building of western comprehensive transportation hub. By it a speedy water passage will be formed from Chengdu to Shanghai through Minjiang River and the Yangtze River. The Yangtze River golden waterway will be extended 162 km to Sichuan economic hinterland, and Chengdu economic region, one of the most developed regions in western China ,will have ports connecting to the sea. A shipping center will be formed for Chengdu and PanXi economic regions, having great strategic meaning in boosting regional development.
Leshan Port has five port areas, including bulk cargo wharfs, passenger terminals, general cargo wharfs and so on. The planned annual handling capacity is 50-million ton cargos, 1,400,000 TEUs, 500,000-ton heavy cargos. The estimated investment is 8-billion yuan with three construction phases. In the first phase, multifunctional wharfs and 8 cargo berths will be built, with an annual handling capacity of 250,000 TEUs and 2,100,000-ton general cargos.
The first phase has an investment of 1.5-billion yuan and is estimated to be finished in 2014. Minjiang River navigation and hydropower project will soon be started as well to upgrade the navigation capacity of Leshan Port.
Leshan Port is close to Leshan-Yibin freeway, Leshan-Zigong freeway, Cheng-Gui railway, Le-Zi-Lu railway and Leshan airport, and has railway special line reaching the port, combining various transportation means: railway, freeway, waterway and air line. Zero-transfer of passengers and seamless transfer of cargos will be realized. During the twelfth five-year plan , Leshan two navigations, five railways, eight freeways project, taking Minjiang River navigation and hydropower hub as its key point, has a total investment of over 100-billion yuan.
