Port Houston completed its portion of the Houston Ship Channel Expansion in October 2025, widening the nation’s busiest waterway through Galveston Bay to improve safety and efficiency for two-way vessel traffic.
Channel Widening Complete
Port Houston, working in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, completed dredging to widen the Galveston Bay reach from Bolivar Roads to Morgans Point from 530 feet to 700 feet. Construction of channel improvements began in 2022.
The expansion allows for improved safety, greater efficiency, and increased economic benefit through one of the nation’s busiest waterways, according to Port Houston’s October 27, 2025 announcement.
“This collaborative achievement is truly a testament to the hard work of all the individuals involved in the project and reminds us of the importance of the Houston Ship Channel to the nation,” said Port Commission Chairman Ric Campo.
While Port-led dredging is complete for navigation, some beneficial use aspects of the project remain under construction, including marsh areas being built with dredged material.
Operational Improvements
The widened channel through Galveston Bay already provides measurable benefits to vessel operations. Daylight-restricted vessels now have up to an additional two and a half hours each day for transit, easing congestion through the 52-mile-long channel that serves more than 200 private facilities and eight public terminals, according to WorkBoat.
“That’s a huge improvement in emissions because ships aren’t sitting out there waiting—and it helps balance the workload of the channel, making it safer for everyone,” said Charlie Jenkins, CEO of Port Houston, during an October commission meeting reported by FreightWaves.
As vessels continue to grow in length, beam, and tonnage across various vessel types, the widened Galveston Bay reach helps keep facilities relying on the channel competitive and dynamic.
Project 11 Overview
The Houston Ship Channel Expansion—known as Project 11—represents a $1.9 billion investment to widen the channel by 170 feet along its Galveston Bay reach and deepen some upstream segments to 46.5 feet, alongside other safety and efficiency improvements, according to the project overview.
Approximately 70 percent of the Houston Ship Channel Expansion has been completed in terms of miles dredged, with Segments 1A, 1B and 2 officially accepted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Segment 1C, spanning from Bayport Ship Channel to Barbours Cut, reached completion in summer 2025, according to Port Houston’s May 2025 update.
Port Houston awarded the largest-ever U.S. dredging contract to Kiewit subsidiary Weeks Marine, Inc. in 2022, according to Kiewit Corporation. The project involves widening 8.3 miles of the Houston Ship Channel and 4 miles of the Bayport Ship Channel.
Environmental Features
Port Houston and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are using more than 17 million cubic yards of dredged material from Project 11 to create 800 acres of marsh, 324 acres of replacement oyster reef pads, and 10 acres of bird islands, according to the port’s dredging FAQ.
Weeks Marine is using dredging material to construct 3 Bird Island, a marsh habitat in Trinity Bay. When complete, the island will create 6 acres of new bird habitat, 5.4 acres of oyster reef and 11,550 linear feet of armored dikes, according to Kiewit Corporation.
Nearly 100 percent of the non-silt material dredged from the Galveston Bay portion of the project will be beneficially used to create and enhance local habitat.
Regional air quality is projected to improve due to a reduction in vessel nitrous oxide emissions of up to 7 percent because of increased vessel efficiency and reduced congestion.
Economic Impact
The Port of Houston drives $906 billion in annual national economic value, sustains more than three million U.S. jobs, and ranks as the nation’s number one port in total waterborne tonnage, according to the project overview.
The waterway connects the nation’s largest petrochemical complex to global markets and has more deep-draft ship visits than any other U.S. port, with nearly 200,000 barge transits every year.
In Texas, the port supports 1.5 million jobs, drives $439 billion in economic activity statewide, and contributes $134 million annually in additional economic impact, according to DredgeWire.
The expansion is expected to create thousands of new jobs and drive warehouse construction to support increased cargo volume flowing through Houston and into national supply chains.
Project Timeline
Dredging work continues through 2029, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers handling remaining Project 11 segments. In February 2025, the Corps issued a notice to proceed on Package 7, Segment 3 of Project 11, contracted to McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., with mobilization beginning in March, according to the project update page.
The Houston Ship Channel is a manmade port requiring continuous dredging throughout the year to maintain depth and ensure safe passage of barges and ships, even when the channel is not being expanded.
