The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will complete engineering and design resulting in a set of plans and specification ready for solicitation to deepen the last 2,571 feet the Galveston Ship Channel to 46 feet under a design agreement signed with the Galveston Wharves yesterday.
If Federal construction funding is received, channel dredging could initiate as early as 2021, the Port of Galveston said in their latest release.
“Deepening and expanding the western portion of the channel will allow us to accommodate larger cargo ships, which will bring regional economic benefits, as well as more port revenues and jobs,” said Galveston Wharves CEO and Port Director, Rodger Rees.
USACE said that they estimate an average annual benefit of $1.6 million from the $13.4 million Galveston Harbor Channel Extension project. The 25-percent local match of approximately $3.3 million will be funded equally by the Galveston Wharves and Texas International Terminals.
“The Design Agreement is significant in that it permits Galveston District to initiate the design for this critically important project. The design was initiated on May 5, 2020,” added Dionicio Gonzales, Project Manager for USACE – Galveston District.
USACE will continue to maintain the federally owned 3.8-mile-long channel, which currently has a depth of 46 feet and an additional 2,571 feet at a depth of 41-feet.