| Summary: | This article is to study the impact of deepening on transportation efficiency in Yangtze River Estuary. Due to geographic conditions and administrative regulations, navigation system at the estuary can be formulated as a state-dependent queuing network with interdependent channels, multi-type vessels, and priority disciplines. We use simulation modeling to deal with this complex maritime system. Vessel calls to terminals, tidal and navigational rules, and vessel profiles are considered and a “dual clock” mechanism is designed to solve the pre-queuing optimization. The model is specifically built to stimulate vessel traffic on performance measures, including vessel waiting time and channel utilization. By performing scenario and policy analyses, several proposed deepening schemes are evaluated and compared.
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