The total weight of metal structures and M&E equipment of the ship lock amounts to some 40000 tons. And a large number of various hoists as many as 134 sets are put into operation, bringing about a lot of technical difficulties. Considering the characteristics of high operating water head and strict requirement, CTGPC carried out a series of tests and researches, focusing on the measures to increase anti-distortion rigidity, structures and forces of the head hub and the bottom hub , and safe force transfer on the supports. It was finally decided to arrange consecutive support blocks at both ends of gate for transfer of water pressure, which also serve as water stop. Wedge adjustment is applied at the head hubs. Bottom plate is fixed to work together with the consecutive rigid supports. The miter gates of the first chamber are 37 m high, of which 35 m is the maximum underwater height, a world record. The ship lock is operated in automatic computer control mode. On 10 June 2003, the TGP reservoir was impounded to el. 135 m, and on 16 June 2003, trial navigation on the ship lock started. Till 15 June 2004, a total of 8381operations was conducted, and 68617 ships, 2.036 million of passengers and 30.13 tons of cargo have passed the ship lock, exceeding the previous record of inland ship lock that was 18 million tons of cargo annually at Gezhouba ship lock. On 8 July 2004, the ship lock passed the state-level acceptance, and was opened to formal navigation.