GLDD to Widen Freeport Harbor Ship Channel
Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation (GLDD) says it has been awarded a a dredging contract valued at over $30 million to widen the entrance and jetty channels of the Freeport Ship Channel near Freeport, Texas. Approximately 4.5 miles of channel will be widened by 200 feet, enabling larger ships to safely navigate the 600 feet-wide channel. A portion of the dredged material is planned to be beneficially used to nourish the coastline in Quintana, TX. Work on the project is scheduled to commence in October 2014. GLDD explains that some of the largest petrochemical and plastics production complexes in the world are located at Port Freeport and are expected to benefit from the economic efficiencies that the wider channel will provide…
COE – Widening of Freeport Ship Channel
The US Army Corps of Engineers issued a notice stating that it has completed the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) for widening of the Freeport Ship Channel in Freeport, Texas. Comments on the FEIS should be submitted by February 11. Source: HK Law
Waterways to Reopen after Rita
The U.S. Coast Guard announced that the Houston Ship Channel is open to vessels of less than 35 ft., daylight transit only. The Freeport Ship Channel is open to vessels of less than 40 ft. The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway is open for daylight transit from MM 317 to MM 242. The Neches River is open to daylight transit of tug and barge traffic from Beaumont to Sabine Pass. The Calcasieu River is open to daylight transit of tug and barge traffic from the I-10 Bridge to Cameron. A press release states that the daylight only restriction on the Houston Ship Channel has been lifted.
