The Port of Galveston, Texas has opened its new cargo berth at the West Port Cargo Complex, welcoming a Wallenius Wilhelmsen vessel on July 2. The 656-foot-long (199.9-metre) Toledo initiated operations by discharging heavy construction equipment from Brazil and the far east before loading machinery destined for Australia and Brazil.
This newly completed 1,410-foot-long (429.8-metre) berth at Pier 39-40 represents a portion of a $106 million cargo facility expansion project that commenced in 2024.
The infrastructure initiative involved filling one slip, enclosing two outdated slips, repaving cargo handling areas, and demolishing a decommissioned grain elevator.
Supported by port operating revenues and a $36 million Texas Department of Transportation grant, the development expands the existing 60-acre (24.3-hectare) facility by adding nearly 30 acres (12.1 hectares). A subsequent phase of the expansion is scheduled to add a further six acres (2.4 hectares) by filling a second slip.
Port Director and Chief Executive Officer Rodger Rees explained that this represents the first major investment in the cargo business of the port in decades, driven primarily by tenant demand.
According to Rees, growing cruise operations generated the necessary revenue to fund these improvements, which received key support from the port's board of trustees and state funding.
Operating on the Galveston Harbour, the port handles three million tons of general and breakbulk cargo annually.