The Three Gorges Dam will be completed nine months ahead of schedule since the dam from the southern bank of the Yangtze River is expected to be built to the designed height of 185 meters by May this year.

The dam will be finished 12 years after its official kick-off, said Cao Guangjing, deputy general manager with the China Yangtze River Three Gorges Project Development Corporation.

Situated near the Xiling Gorge, the easternmost gorge of the Three Gorges on the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, the Three Gorges Dam is designed to have a length of 2,309 meters and a height of 185 meters.

The construction was divided into three phases for the sake of flood control, power generation, shipping and relocation.

The actual maximum height of concrete pouring for the dam is 181 meters with totally 16.1 million cubic meters of concrete.

After the completion of the dam ahead of schedule, the level of water stored in the reservoir will rise from the current 135 meters to 156 meters, one year earlier than designed, which will greatly increase the capacity of the generators at the project as the daily power generation of each generating unit will grow by three million kwh.

By People's Daily Online