Port of Corpus Christi nears completion of dredging project

The Port of Corpus Christi is finalising work on a major infrastructure project to deepen and widen its ship channel. The Corpus Christi ship channel improvement project, which began construction in 2017, increases the depth of the waterway from 47 to 54 feet mean lower low water and widens it from 400 to 530 feet, including additional barge shelves.

Originally proposed more than three decades ago, the four-phase project is designed to improve navigational safety and allow access for larger vessels. The expanded channel also enables two-way traffic, with estimated annual transportation cost savings of more than $200 million, according to port authorities.

The $625 million project is jointly funded by the US Congress and the Port of Corpus Christi. It has been implemented with technical support from the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), as well as input from state agencies and private marine contractors.

According to USACE Galveston District, the project includes one of the largest beneficial use components in the district’s history, referring to the reuse of dredged material for environmental and coastal restoration purposes.