Port Houston Celebrates Historic Project 11 Milestone

Houston Ship Channel expansion strengthens safety, efficiency, and regional prosperity

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Port Houston joined federal, state, and local elected officials and industry partners Thursday, October 8, to celebrate the completion of Port Houston-led segments of Project 11, the latest expansion of the Houston Ship Channel and one of the most significant infrastructure projects in the waterway’s history.

The completed work widened the Houston Ship Channel by 170 feet along its Galveston Bay reach, from 530 feet to 700 feet, and created new bird islands, oyster reefs, and marsh habitat using dredged material. The improvements increase safety and efficiency along the nation’s busiest waterway and strengthen the Houston Ship Channel’s ability to support growing trade and economic activity.

The milestone reflects years of collaboration among Port Houston, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, industry partners, and elected leaders to accelerate improvements to the waterway.

“I’ve spent much of my career working on the Houston Ship Channel, and Project 11 is especially meaningful to me,” said Port Houston CEO Charlie Jenkins. “I remember when this project was still an idea and we were figuring out how to make it happen. Now, ships are moving through a wider, safer channel because our team, the Army Corps, industry, and elected leaders found a way to get it done. To see that progress firsthand is something I’m incredibly proud of.”

To expedite this critical project, Port Houston and industry partners recognized the need to do things differently and agreed to help pay for Project 11, which cut years off the delivery timeline and provides benefits to all users of the channel. The remainder is being funded through several federal sources.

“Project 11 is transformational for the Houston Ship Channel,” said Port Commission Chairman Ric Campo. “From the beginning, we challenged ourselves to deliver this project differently: faster, more efficiently, and with strong financial discipline. Port Houston completed its portion on time and on budget, and faster than any comparable project in the U.S. The extraordinary partnership between Port Houston, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and industry made this achievement possible.”

“The wider channel will improve air quality and enable cargo vessels to reduce their daylight restrictions, making the nation’s busiest port safer and more efficient,” said U.S. Sen. John Cornyn. “I look forward to seeing the positive impact this historic project will have on the Texas Gulf Coast as it creates jobs, drives international trade, and boosts economic prosperity across Texas and our nation.”

“I often say there’s no better place than Texas to achieve the American Dream and it’s places like the Port that make that possible,” said U.S. Rep. Brian Babin. “Project 11 has moved forward at an impressive pace; a testament to the bipartisan support and the strong partnership between Port Houston and the Army Corps of Engineers. I look forward to the full completion of Project 11 and the ways it’s going to equip Port Houston to continue serving as a critical hub for U.S. energy exports, petrochemical production, and global trade, ensuring American energy dominance, economic competitiveness, and supply chain reliability for many years to come.”

“This investment benefits our city, state, and our country, cementing Houston’s leadership in trade, strengthening our country’s supply chain and building for our future,” said U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher. “The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act made it possible for Port Houston to receive more than $140 million in federal funding, the only Texas port to receive the funding.”

“We live in the energy capital of the world, and we would not be without our ship channel,” said U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt. “Over one trillion dollars of economic development runs through the ship channel every year, and not only impacts Houston and the United States, but impacts the entire world. One of the greatest honors that I had was the ability to secure over $160 million to finish up Project 11.”

"Port Houston is the largest port in Texas and one of our state’s most powerful economic engines. Project 11 will help make sure it stays that way for generations to come,” said U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia. “This milestone means more cargo, more good-paying union jobs, and more opportunities for working families across our region, including the ILA members who keep our port running every single day. I’m proud to have worked with Port Houston and the Army Corps to move this project forward in Congress. Port Houston has reached an important milestone, and now we need to keep the momentum going until Project 11 is fully complete."

“From petrochemicals to goods moving across the country, the Houston Ship Channel drives our economy, and it’s only getting busier. Project 11 ensures the busiest waterway in the United States is ready to meet that growth,” said U.S. Rep. Christian Menefee. “With the Ship Channel generating billions of dollars for our economy and supporting nearly two million jobs right here in Texas, Project 11 marks a historic milestone for Port Houston and our region. I’m proud to support this investment in Houston’s future.”

“Project 11 is an investment not only in the future of Houston, but in the economic strength and infrastructure of our nation,” said U.S. Rep. Al Green. “A safer, extensive, and more efficient Houston Ship Channel will support additional commerce through Houston, strengthen the flow of goods across our nation, expand opportunities for international trade, create and sustain good-paying jobs across the region, and ensure this vital waterway is equipped to meet future demands. I am proud to be a part of this historic undertaking and proud to have voted for and supported this project and see it come to fruition. This is what we can accomplish when we work together to turn a vision for progress into a reality.”

The expanded channel is already delivering benefits to vessels of all sizes. In 2025, the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Houston Pilots recognized the widened 700-foot Houston Ship Channel from Bolivar Roads to Morgans Point, effectively removing daylight restrictions for larger vessels transiting Galveston Bay. The change allows vessels to move more efficiently and reduces the need for oversized ships to wait on berth or at anchor to sail.

Project 11 is also creating lasting environmental benefits using dredged material. All useful materials, such as sand or clay, produced from the channel improvements created 10 acres of bird islands, 324 acres of oyster reefs, and 800 acres of marsh habitat.

Project 11 is the eleventh major expansion of the Houston Ship Channel. Remaining U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-led work will continue improvements to the waterway.

To learn more about Project 11, visit ExpandtheHoustonShipChannel.com.

About Port Houston

For more than 100 years, Port Houston has owned and operated the public wharves and terminals along the Houston Ship Channel, including the area’s largest breakbulk facility and two of the most efficient container terminals in the country. Port Houston is the advocate and a strategic leader for the Houston Ship Channel region known as the Port of Houston, which includes more than 200 private and eight public facilities. The Port of Houston is the nation’s largest port for waterborne tonnage and an essential economic engine for the Houston region, the state of Texas and the U.S. The Port of Houston supports approximately 1.89 million jobs in Texas and 3.53 million jobs nationwide and economic activity totaling $538 billion in Texas and $987 billion across the nation. For more information, visit PortHouston.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261009647251/en/

Media Contacts
Christine Abbruscato
Senior Director, Corporate Communications and Branding
713-670-2860 (office), [email protected]

Tejal K Patel
Manager, Public Relations
713-670-1155 (office), [email protected]

Source: Port Houston

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