PORT ARTHUR, TX — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Galveston District (SWG) awarded a $403.9 million contract to Kiewit U.S. Contractors Co. to construct additional portions of the Port Arthur Project, a component of the Sabine Pass to Galveston Bay Coastal Storm Risk Management Project.

The Port Arthur Project provides critical improvements to increase the level of flood protection, or risk reduction, provided by the existing hurricane protection system in Port Arthur, Texas. Under the awarded Contract PAV04, construction will include the replacement of 9,525 feet of floodwall, 2,300 feet of levee raises, four levee-floodwall tie-ins, and fronting protection at three pump stations. These upgrades are intended to enhance the reliability and performance of the existing hurricane protection system. Construction of this work is expected to begin in summer 2026 and take approximately three and a half years to complete.

Contract PAV04 is a design-build contract and serves as the seed project for USACE’s $7 billion Construction Multiple Award Task Order Contract, which provides a more efficient process for delivering large-scale civil works infrastructure projects along the Texas coast.

The Port Arthur Project is a partnership between USACE and Jefferson County Drainage District No. 7 (DD7), with funding support from the State of Texas through the Texas General Land Office and the Gulf Coast Protection District. Project costs are shared 65 percent federally and 35 percent non-federally. USACE is managing the design and construction, while DD7 will continue to operate and maintain the system following construction.

The project team continues to develop designs for the remaining elements of the Port Arthur Project, with full project completion targeted for 2033. According to USACE, this important initiative will protect the people and businesses of Port Arthur when completed and contribute to the long-term security of the entire Gulf Coast region.