The first step in Phase 2 of the Brazos Island Harbor Channel Improvement Project is underway as the Port of Brownsville’s dredged material placement area improvement project began in early February. The BIH Channel Improvement project will deepen the 17-mile-long Brownsville ship channel from 42 to 52 feet.

in February, the Brownsville Navigation District Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to award a $13.6-million contract for the channel improvements to RLB Contracting Inc. for Placement Areas 5B, 7 and 8. A placement area is a federally authorized disposal site for dredged material.

As part of the dredging process, materials collected are placed in approved disposal sites or for beneficial use purposes. Dredging for Phase 2 is estimated to remove 12 to 16 million cubic yards of material from the ship channel and distributed to the placement areas.

Expanding Opportunities

Deepening the channel will result in significant navigational safety improvements for commercial shipping in South Texas. The project will further increase the port’s capabilities, allowing existing industries in the Rio Grande Valley to continue expanding while also attracting new economic opportunities for the region.

“We are building on the continued success at the Port of Brownsville by advancing infrastructure to benefit existing and future businesses,” said Port Director and CEO Eduardo A. Campirano. “The dredged material placement area improvements are a vital step in the Brazos Island Harbor Channel Improvement Project to deepen the Brownsville ship channel to remain competitive in the growing global market.”

On July 6, the BND signed a joint agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to begin the channel deepening.

The BIH Channel Improvement Project receives its funding through the USACE’s Public-Private Partnership with the Port of Brownsville and NextDecade.