At A Glance
- Waterway Deepening: Channel depths excavated an additional 10 feet, pushing the main channel baseline to 52 feet and jetty channels to 54 feet.
- Strategic Stature: Elevates the Port of Brownsville into one of the deepest deep-draft ports in Texas and across the entire Gulf region.
- Delivery Model: Executed via a pioneering Public-Private Partnership (P3) national pilot project to fast-track major maritime construction.
- Macro Investments: Supported by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, coupled with a projected $50 million in upcoming landside port improvements.
- Energy Logistics: Optimizes transit efficiency for major projects like NextDecade’s Rio Grande LNG, bolstering U.S. export capabilities.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Galveston District, the Brownsville Navigation District (BND), which operates the Port of Brownsville, and NextDecade celebrated the completion of the Brazos Island Harbor Channel Improvement Project with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Port of Brownsville, June 25, 2026.
The project deepened the Brownsville Ship Channel by an additional 10 feet, increasing the entrance and jetty channels from 44 feet to 54 feet and the main channel from 42 feet to 52 feet. The completed project places the Port of Brownsville among Texas’ deepest deep-draft ports, and the Brownsville Ship Channel among the deepest navigation channels in the Gulf region.
The deeper channel improves maritime access for larger vessels carrying heavier cargo, increases navigation safety, reduces transit times and strengthens the role of South Texas in the nation’s maritime supply chain.
“Today’s completion is more than a navigation milestone – it’s a strategic investment in America’s economic strength,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. George H. Walter, USACE Southwestern Division commander. “This deeper, safer federal channel expands our capacity for international trade, strengthens critical energy infrastructure and demonstrates how modern infrastructure can advance both economic security and U.S. energy dominance.”
The ceremony brought together federal, state and local leaders and project partners, including Col. David W. Dake, USACE Galveston District commander; Sergio Tito Lopez, BND chairman; William Dietrich, Port of Brownsville port director and CEO; and Tarik Skeik, NextDecade chief operating officer. U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, whose Texas 34th Congressional District includes the Port of Brownsville, also recognized the project’s completion and its importance to South Texas.
“I’m thrilled to have secured funding for this project through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and deliver a long-awaited investment for South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley,” Gonzalez said. “By connecting our communities more directly to global markets, we are creating opportunities for local workers and businesses while giving the region a stronger foundation for sustained economic growth.”
Designated in June 2019 as one of four nationwide USACE Public-Private Partnership pilot projects and the only navigation project selected, the Brazos Island Harbor project demonstrates how federal, local and private partners can combine resources and expertise to accelerate the delivery of major public infrastructure.
“Completing this project reflects years of disciplined planning, engineering and construction by USACE, the Port of Brownsville, NextDecade and our many stakeholders,” Dake said. “The result is a safer, more capable navigation system that fulfills the federal mission, delivers lasting public value and strengthens a maritime gateway important to the nation’s economy and security.”
The project included deepening the channel, dredging berthing areas, improving dredged material placement areas and installing updated navigation aids. The Port of Brownsville is also expected to invest an additional $50 million in related landside port improvements.
For the Brownsville Navigation District, completion of the project advances a long-term vision for the port and the region it serves.
“For generations, the Brownsville Ship Channel has connected our region to opportunity,” Lopez said. “This improvement gives the port the capacity to build on that legacy, pursue new industries and serve as an even stronger economic engine for South Texas. It also reflects the long-term vision and cooperation required to turn a major infrastructure goal into reality.”
The Port of Brownsville serves as the project’s non-federal sponsor, and NextDecade participated as the private partner. Segment A dredging and Placement Areas 4A, 4B, 5A improvements were privately funded, while Segment B dredging and Placement Areas 5B and 7 were funded by USACE and the Port of Brownsville. Segment A dredging began August 12, 2024. USACE awarded the Segment B dredging contract August 6, 2024, and dredging began November 30, 2024.
With construction complete, the deeper channel reduces operational limitations associated with the former channel depth and allows vessels to carry more cargo. “The deeper channel changes what the Port of Brownsville can do operationally,” Dietrich said. “It increases our ability to accommodate larger, more fully loaded vessels, improve cargo efficiency and compete for maritime business that previously faced depth limitations.”
Beyond its operational benefits, the project strengthens a strategic maritime gateway near the U.S.-Mexico border. Improved vessel access and port efficiency support more reliable international trade flows and the movement of energy products, industrial materials and other critical cargo.
“This milestone demonstrates the value of pairing public infrastructure leadership with committed private investment,” Skeik said. “The improved channel supports the development and long-term operation of Rio Grande LNG and major energy infrastructure, strengthens U.S. liquefied natural gas export capability and the Rio Grande Valley’s role in the global energy market.”
The project is authorized under Section 1401(1) of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act of 2016, Public Law 114-322. Its total estimated cost under traditional delivery methodology is approximately $295.2 million.
USACE plays a key role in the nation’s economic well-being by maintaining waterways for navigation and commerce. The Galveston District maintains more than 1,000 miles of federally authorized navigation channels along the Texas coast, including approximately 270 miles of deep-draft channels and 750 miles of shallow-draft waterways.
For more information about the Brazos Island Harbor Channel Improvement Project, visit the SWG Project Page.
This article was originally published by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under the title, “USACE, partners deliver deeper Brownsville channel built for bigger ships, greater global trade.”
