As a key transportation route, the line is expected to handle half of the city's cross-Yangtze traffic flow, easing gridlock on bridges over the river.
The construction costs around 14.9 billion yuan (2.37 billion U.S. dollars), according to estimates by previous reports.
The 6,300-km Yangtze River, which originates in northwest China's Qinghai Province and flows through 10 provinces and municipalities before emptying into the East China Sea, is a major transport link between the west and east China. More than 100 bridges across the river are in use.
Wuhan lies at the intersection of the Han and Yangtze rivers. Its city proper is divided into three major areas by the rivers.
Cumquat market in S China's Guangxi