Secretary LaHood Designates New Marine Highway in Texas

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has designated a new marine highway in Chambers County, Texas.

The “M-146 Marine Highway Connector,” which is sponsored by the Chambers County Texas Improvement District No. 1 and the Chambers Liberty Counties Navigation District, spans the 25-mile waterway between the Cedar Bayou and the Houston Ship Channel, connecting to the Port of Houston on the M-10 Marine Highway Corridor.

A container-on-barge service currently operating on the M-146 has already reduced regional roadway traffic by approximately 2,000 containers per month. A marine highway is a designated route for transporting cargo on water, reducing pollution and congestion on roads.

Since 2009, the Department of Transportation has designated 19 Marine Highway Routes, and invested $130 million in projects supporting Marine Highway services. In addition to highlighting the role waterways play in moving freight throughout the region, designated Marine Highways receive preferential treatment for any future federal assistance from the Department or MARAD.