Houston Ship Channel Expansion Work Approved

The Port of Houston Commission has approved “critical-path” professional services for the Houston Ship Channel expansion project.

Image source: USACE

The ship channel expansion work approved by the Port Commission includes critical-path professional services for engineering, design and project coordination.

According to Port Houston Executive Director Roger Guenthe, the widening and deepening of the ship channel will allow for economic growth to continue.

Given significant demand from industry to take advantage of current economic conditions and facilitate future growth, the Port of Houston Authority has proposed an expedited schedule whereby dredging could begin by 2021 and the project be completed in 2024.

The channel widening, along with deepening in some sections, is the eleventh and next major ship channel expansion project. The last widening and deepening of the channel was completed in 2005.

The professional services contract approved by the commission was in an amount not to exceed $5.5 million and was awarded to TC&B/GBA, a joint venture of Turner Collie & Braden Inc and Gahagan & Bryant Associates Inc.