On August 12, Callan Marine won a US$104 million dredging contract with the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Galveston District (SWG) for the deepening of the Brazos Island Harbor (BIH) Ship Channel at the Port of Brownsville in south Texas.
This section of the project, known as BIH Segment B, will see the deepening of the ship channel by 10 feet (3.0 metres) to a new authorised depth of 52 feet (16 metres) for a 13-mile (21-kilometre) segment.
Approximately seven million cubic yards (five million cubic metres) of material will be removed using a pipeline dredge to deepen the navigation channel. USACE said the material will be disposed into Placement Area 5B. Work is scheduled to begin October 2024 with an estimated completion date of June 2026.
Ramon F. Navarro, a Senior Project Manager with SWG's Project Management Branch, also noted another ongoing construction contract focused on deepening the remaining section of the Port of Brownsville's ship channel, known as the BIH Segment A project. This complementary effort is being spearheaded by NextDecade LNG, working in conjunction with the Port of Brownsville.
The BIH Segment A project involves deepening the channel entrance to a depth of 54 feet (16.5 metres) for the initial 4.5-mile (7.2-kilometre) stretch, before transitioning to a depth of 52 feet (15.9 metres) for the subsequent 7.5-mile (12-kilometre) segment.
This will result in a total combined length of 12 miles (19 kilometres) for the BIH Segment A deepening work. In addition to the channel excavation, the project scope encompasses placement area improvements, dredging of berthing areas, and the installation of navigation aids.