page_title: Layout of the Port of Tianjin
section_title: Shipping channels
hierarchical_section_title: Layout of the Port of Tianjin / Port fairway / Shipping channels
caption_attribution_description: 海河下游通航的货轮
context_page_description: The Port of Tianjin is divided into nine areas: the three core areas of Beijiang, Nanjiang, and Dongjiang around the Xingang fairway; the Haihe area along the river; the Beitang port area around the Beitangkou estuary; the Dagukou port area in the estuary of the Haihe River; and three areas under construction.
context_section_description: The Main shipping channel (新港主航道) is 39.5 km long. The channel extends from the gate line of the VTS control area (20 nautical miles (37 km) from the VTS control tower), up to the start of the Chuanzhadong Channel. Since November 2010, the Main Channel has been dredged to a depth of −19.5 m and a bottom width of 420 m, making it capable of handling two-way 250,000 DWT traffic, and to accept 300,000 DWT ships at high tide. There are two service channels (100 m wide and 9 m deep) at each side of the main channel, which allow ships under 10,000 DWT (i.e. service craft, barges and coastal ships) to transit without interference from the big ships. The breakwater mouth was expanded to 1,100 m wide in 2010. As of 2012, the Main Channel is being deepened to 22 m and widened to 765 m, which will allow two-way all-tide traffic of 300,000 DWT ships by 2013.
  The Chuanzhadong channel (船闸东航道), called "Chuanzha channel" in Admiralty charts, starts roughly at the level of the Second Pier and ends at the Xingang Shipping Lock, a total of around 4.5 km. Its depth varies between 10 m to 5 m as it approaches the shiplock.
  The Northern Harbor Branch Channel (北港支航道) extends from its bifurcation from the main channel up to the northern end of the basin, approximately 6.5 km. It has been dredged all the way to the end of the basin (where the Huicheng terminal lies) to a depth of 15 m and a width of between 190 m to 390 m. Its junction with the Main Channel was widened to 765 m in 2007 to facilitate traffic merging.
  The Dagusha Channel (大沽沙航道) is wholly separate from the Main Channel. It is 27.5 km long from safe water (12 m isobath) to the mouth of the Haihe. It was upgraded in December 2010 to a depth of 12.3 m, 180 m wide, for a one-way traffic capacity of 50,000 DWT (100,000 DWT in high tide). Current dredging is expanding the Channel to 230 m bottom width and 14 m depth, which will allow all-tide traffic of 100,000 DWT vessels. The long-term plan is to dredge the Channel up to a two-way 200,000 DWT capability.
  The Haihe River Channel varies in depth between 4 m to 8 m with a minimum bottom width of 50 m and a maximum of 120 m. It can handle vessels of up to 5,000 DWT in the section between the Xingang Shiplock and the Haimen Bridge, and up to 3,000 DWT and 31 m air draft from the Haimen Bridge to the Second Tidal Barrier. This capacity will be reduced to 1,000 DWT once the planned fixed bridges in the Haihe are built.
  The Beitangkou Channel (北塘口航道) is at present a natural shallow-water buoyed channel capable of handling barges, fishing boats and service vessels of up to 1,000 gt. It is currently being dredged to 7.9 m depth, 190 m width.
  The channels serving the other three port areas are being expanded and will become open as said areas become open. The Nangang Channel was activated in July 2011 on a trial basis. At present it extends 19 km and is dredged to a 5,000 DWT capacity (100 m wide, 6.5 m deep). According to plans, it will reach 100,000 DWT capacity by as early as 2015. The Gaoshaling Channel is currently being dredged to 12.5 m depth, 150 m width, for a planned capacity of 50,000 DWT in 2015. The Hangu Channel is being dredged for 16 km to a 7 m depth, 75 m width, for a capacity of 5,000 DWT 
  A number of secondary channels have been set up and seamarked by the MSA and FLEC to divert small boat traffic away from the main fairways. The "Sand and Gravel Transport Boats Preferred Channel" (天津港砂石运输船舶推荐航路) runs to the south of the Main Channel and the Dagukou anchorages, and is designed to stop the dangerous flow of barges and construction vessels that used to cut across NE-SW, right through the flow of large ships. The Donggu Fishing Port Channel runs north of the Dagusha Channel, close to the Nanjiang island, and separates fishing boats from the deep water channel.
  Harbor basins are breakwater-protected, and include the in-harbor Channels and the approaches to the wharves. The Main Harbor Basin extends 16.5 km from the Xingang Shipping Lock to breakwater mouth, and there are four secondary basins within the main basin, formed by the 
caption: Ship going upstream on the Haihe. Ahead, the Haimen bridge can be seen in lifted position.
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