The Houston Channel expansion project progressing well

Last Tuesday, September 24, the Port of Houston Commission met for its regular monthly meeting.

Chairman Ric Campo began the meeting with an update on the Houston Ship Channel Expansion – Project 11 – saying that the work is progressing well.

According to Campo, key segments are on target to be completed by November, including the channel expansion through much of Galveston Bay, allowing larger vessels to call Bayport Container Terminal.

He emphasized that the project’s environmental sustainability priorities, underscoring that multiple dredges are equipped with technology that meets the Environmental Protection Agency’s Tier 4 air emission standard.

Later, in a staff report to the commission, it was highlighted that five out of the combined 14 planned Project 11 contracts held by Port Houston or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have been completed.

One of those contracts, for Segment 1A (Bolivar Roads to Redfish), was completed at $5.8 million under budget and ahead of schedule.

The Aids to Navigation (ATON) relocation in Segment 2 (Bayport) will be completed by mid-October, and the contractor for Segment 1C, Callan Marine (Bayport to Barbours Cut) commenced dredging in August and is on track for completion by the second quarter of 2025.

Callan’s General Arnold, the nation’s most environmentally friendly 32-inch cutter suction dredge, featuring Tier 4 engines, is dredging the segment 1c.

Finally, USACE awarded Segment 3 (Barbours Cut) at the end of July and is expected to commence construction very soon.