Binjiang Police Affairs

Chapter 743 - 503: Cowardly!

As a member of the Development Zone Party Working Committee and the Linghai Port Engineering Project Command Center, Han Yu also managed various projects.The weather was getting hotter, entering the flood season, and Han Yu felt it necessary to visit the dockyard site jointly invested by Changyu Shipbuilding Factory and Linghai Shipbuilding Factory.

Once completed and operational, this will certainly be the largest dockyard in all of Binjiang!

Boss Wang of Changyu Shipbuilding Factory and Boss Wu of Bailong Port Shipyard put all their assets into it and still needed to borrow over eight million from banks with the coordination of the Development Zone Management Committee.

This place was originally a north-south oriented Cha Port, about three hundred and seventy meters long and ninety meters wide, previously a natural shelter for fishing boats and some smaller vessels.

Later, Boss Wang of Changyu Shipbuilding Factory contracted the west bank of the river here to repair inland river cargo ships, starting from repairing cement ships of ten or twenty tons, and gradually moving on to build iron ships of less than a thousand tons.

Boss Wu of Bailong Port Shipyard had always coveted this prime location and contracted the east bank of the Cha Port after the establishment of the Development Zone Management Committee.

The city decided to develop port economy, intending to launch sea and especially foreign vessel repair services, hence they mobilized both factories to collaborate, jointly investing to transform the Cha Port into a dockyard.

Simply put, it meant building a lock at the southern end of Cha Port, removing the silt inside, while also broadening and deepening it, and then constructing using steel-reinforced concrete, essentially creating half of a super large lock!

Although it was built adapting to the local conditions, this infrastructure project was still massive.

Initially, both bosses were quite hesitant to invest, considering the large investment and corresponding risks. Later, the Management Committee adjusted the plan, intending to develop Cha Port as a dockyard and a bulk cargo wharf.

Closing the lock and draining the water inside would turn it into a super large dockyard, able to repair cargo ships up to a hundred thousand tons!

Filling it with water and opening the lock will transform it into a large dock, capable of berthing two thirty-thousand-ton cargo ships with tugs, unloading cargoes simultaneously at the east and west docks of the lock chamber.

Cosco Shipyard also spotted this prime location, having inspected it three times in the past.

Boss Wang and Boss Wu, no longer hesitant, decided to go ahead with the dockyard-cum-wharf project, even re-registering as Changlong Pier corporation, with Old Ding, former Four Factory Police Station Chief, appointed as the deputy director, continuously overseeing the infrastructure project here.

The silt pumped out to the east and west river banks needed time to settle.

What both bosses currently lacked the most was time, so they instructed the Waterway Engineering Bureau to ship all the extracted silt away using mud-carrying vessels, and refill both river banks with soil from elsewhere.

The dam at the southern end of Cha Port was built very high, keeping the river water out.

Over two hundred workers and dozens of construction vehicles were busily engaged around Cha Port, with the lock chamber nearly formed and the massive lock gate also under construction. According to the current progress, the external dam would be removed in another two months.

Han Yu walked around the massive lock chamber, returned to the top of the dam to check the river surface, and again couldn’t help but stamp on the mud under his feet.

Old Ding asked puzzledly, "Salted Fish, what’s wrong?"

"This dam is too low."

"Once the lock gate is built, we’ll dig it out. As long as it can block water now, there’s no need to make it so high."

"The top of the dam is less than three meters from the river surface, and the dam structure is not sturdy enough. What if a typhoon or torrential rain occur and the Yangtze River’s water level surges violently? Can this mud dam hold up?" Han Yu looked back worriedly, "It’s always better to be safe than sorry, if the dam collapses, the loss would be enormous!"

Construction is truly like spending money like running water.

Old Ding hesitated for a moment then smiled, "The lock gate will be operational in two more months."

Han Yu reminded, "Uncle Ding, you’ve been by the river for several years, you should know how tough the next two months will be. Since entering the ’90s, how many years have there been without typhoons? How many years have the Yangtze’s water levels not surged?"

If the floodwaters overflow the dam or break it, all ongoing constructions inside will be damaged!

Old Ding fell silent for a moment, then quietly said, "I will call Boss Wu and Boss Wang, if necessary, we’ll reinforce it."

"We must reinforce and heighten it, the top of the dam needs to be at least level with the river embankment."

Han Yu looked around, and after a thought, added, "To be absolutely safe, we better prepare more logs, grass sacks, and quarry stones. We must hurry to contact the Ministry of Water Resources or Waterway Section, ask them to install a tidal gauge, and arrange for someone to monitor changes in the tidal level."

Old Ding instinctively asked, "Always be ready for flood prevention?"

"Uncle Ding, we are by the river, and in these past years, we have been fighting floods every year. We cannot afford to overlook flood and disaster mitigation."

"This will cost a lot of money."

"Better safe than sorry. Besides, most of the money is already spent, what’s wrong with spending a little more for peace of mind?"

"Alright, I’ll call Boss Wu and Boss Wang now."

"Make it clear to them, we are being responsible for their investment. This is just Cha Port, not a river embankment. Even if the dam collapses, it won’t harm people beyond it, but their massive investment would go down the drain."

"I understand, I’ll talk to them."

"After returning, I also need to report to Mayor Shen. There are so many projects along the river, involving vast investments, directly affecting the safety of the project, flood and typhoon prevention cannot be taken lightly."

"If the Management Committee can issue a document, it would be better; otherwise, people might think I’m causing unnecessary trouble."

"Uncle Ding, you are now the deputy director, you have the final say on the infrastructure projects here, you need to be responsible for both bosses."