BROWNSVILLE, TX — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Galveston District (SWG), non-federal partner the Port of Brownsville, and NextDecade, LLC, celebrated the groundbreaking for Phase 2 of the Brazos Island Harbor Channel Improvement Project (BIHCIP) during a ceremony in Brownsville, Texas.
This project is one of four nationwide Public-Private Partnerships (P3) announced by the White House in June 2019.
The BIHCIP will deepen the Port of Brownsville Ship Channel from 42 to 52 feet and will facilitate increased cargo movements, reduce transit times, and increase the channel’s operational safety.
“We’re very excited about the collaboration between USACE, NextDecade, and the Port of Brownsville on this P3 project,” SWG District Commander Col. Rhett Blackmon said. “These types of partnerships are another innovative way to deliver projects faster — up to three years sooner — and with several millions of dollars in cost savings. The P3 program is part of USACE’s strategy to revolutionize its civil works program to advance the delivery of our national infrastructure by synchronizing actions, developing new tools, and streamlining activities.”
“Our strong partnership with the Port of Brownsville and with NextDecade has played a crucial role in turning the channel deepening project into a reality,” said Ramon F. Navarro, the USACE Senior Project Manager overseeing BIHCIP.
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“The BIH groundbreaking ceremony marks a milestone in our journey to shape the Port of Brownsville’s future,” Port of Brownsville Director and CEO William Dietrich said. “With the BIH project, we are strengthening our role as a catalyst for business growth and demonstrating our responsibility to the community by transforming the port into a dynamic hub for value-added industries.”
According to USACE’s 2022 annual report, the Port of Brownsville was ranked 50th among 150 U.S. maritime ports for waterborne cargo, handling 9.1 million tons. In 2023, the port moved 17.8 million tons of cargo through its docks, experiencing a 17 percent increase.
“As the private partner in the Brazos Island Harbor Channel Improvement Project, NextDecade is committed to investing in the Rio Grande Valley’s future by creating thousands of jobs, helping educate current and future generations, and protecting the environment," NextDecade Chairman and CEO Matt Schatzman said. "We recognized back in 2019 the great benefits that deepening the Brownsville Ship Channel would bring to our LNG project, and to the Brownsville community and the surrounding Rio Grande Valley."
Managed by the Port of Brownsville and USACE, Phase 2 of the BIHCIP will deepen the channel from the turning basin to NextDecade’s Rio Grande LNG site. The $139.5 million cost of Phase 2 is supported by $68 million in federal funding through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Appropriations Law, with the Port of Brownsville contributing $71.5 million.
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Phase 2 of the project began in 2023 with the dredged material placement area improvement portion of the project. As part of the dredging process, materials collected are placed in approved disposal sites. The dredged material is often utilized for beach renourishment projects led by USACE.
In August 2024, USACE awarded a $104 million contract to Callan Marine Ltd. for Phase 2 of the BIH project. The contractor is required to remove approximately 7 million cubic yards of material using a pipeline dredge. The estimated completion date for Phase 2 of the project is 2026.
The Port of Brownsville’s multi-modal (ships, trains, trucks) business approach provides the region with larger business opportunities, helps reduce poverty rates in Cameron County — one of the nation’s poorest counties — and continues its vital support to the state and national strategy for clean energy.
The BIHCIP is vital to wind-based and solar-based energy expansion in Texas and across the nation by increasing imports of key materials, parts, and equipment. It will also make the industries served by Port of Brownsville more sustainable.
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Port of Brownsville is also vital in the manufacturing of deep-draft vessels. It is the only port in Texas where deep draft vessels are being manufactured.
USACE plays a key role in America’s well-being by keeping waterways open for navigation and commerce and serves the nation as part of the world’s largest public engineering, design, and construction management agency.
Encompassing the Texas coast from Louisiana to Mexico — an area that spans across 50,000 square miles, includes 48 counties, two parishes, and 16 congressional districts — the USACE Galveston District provides vital public engineering services in peace and war to strengthen the nation’s security, energize the economy, and reduce risks from disasters.
