Visitors look at a model of the Three Gorges Dam on May 6, 2006. (Xinhua Photo)

Workers are busy on the construction for the giant dam on May 1, 2006. (Xinhua Photo)

    YICHANG, Hubei Province, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Construction for the giant dam of the Three Gorges hydropower project on the Yangtze River was expected to finish on May 20, an executive with the China Yangtze River Three Gorges Project Development Corporation said Sunday.

    "There are less than 3,000 cubic meters of concrete left to be placed before the dam will finally complete nine months ahead of the schedule," said Cao Guangjing, deputy general manager of the corporation.

    The completion of the construction for the dam, 2,309 meters long and 185 meters high, marks the principal part of the project, which is often compared to the Great Wall in its scale, is done, said Cao.

    The dam is situated near the Xiling Gorge, the eastern most gorge of the Three Gorges on the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. The construction of the dam was divided into two phases -- the right and the left banks.

    Workers began in 1998 to build the dam from the north bank of Yangtze River and finished the north part project in October 2002.

    The right bank began to be built in July 2003. Now the two parts of the dam have joined as one, and most of the dam sections of the right bank have reached the same levels as the left one.

    Launched in 1993, the Three Gorges Project, including the dam and 26 generators on both banks of the Yangtze, is planned to be completed in 2009 and by then, it will be able to generate 84.7 billion kwh of electricity annually. Enditem