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Shipping will be suspended on China's Three Gorges Dam water areas from April 10 to June 15 as the reservoir is set to be filled, sources with China's shipping administration of the Three Gorges said on Apr.9.

During this period, all passengers will be handled through "cross-dam" transport, while cargoes will be dispatched through railways and roads.

According to the plan, passengers moving eastward can dock at Maoping port on the upper reaches of the dam and take a 40-kilometer bus trip to Yichang port, where they can continue their river trip. Passengers moving westward can port at Yichang and continue their river trip from Maoping in the same way.

The "cross-dam" transport was initiated last Nov. 1, when only one temporary ship lock was left for passenger vessels at the dam site.

Since then, about 1.03 million passengers from over 7,100 vessels have been handled through the "cross-dam" transport, while81,000 trucks from 3,400 vessels have been transferred safely.

"Although shipping will be temporarily banned, our project will ensure that passengers will pass through the dam without noticeable delay," said the director of the Maoping and Yichang ports.

Located on the upper reaches of the Yangtze, the country's longest river, the Three Gorges project, designed for flood-control, power generation and navigation, will see its initial fruits this year in water filling, power generation and navigation.

The whole project, which consists of a reservoir and power generating units, began construction in 1993 and is expected to be completed in 2009.