The Port of Galveston in Texas will be investing as much as US$30m (€27.39m) in construction projects in 2020 and 2021, as part of its 20-year strategic masterplan. The projects will address needed maintenance and development for business growth, and form the foundation of longer-range major improvements at the port.
Projects that will begin in 2020 include the relocation of cargo operations from the east port to the west port; infrastructure improvements and site work to prepare Pier 10 for the construction of a Royal Caribbean cruise terminal; pedestrian and vehicular traffic projects to improve safety and traffic flow; drainage and utility improvements; and general repairs.
As a self-funding operation with no taxing authority, the port relies on its revenues, grants and partnerships to pay for all of its operations, maintenance and improvements. The projects planned for 2020 are still pending board approval and funding availability. Funding would come from a combination of port revenues, as well as debt and city, state and federal grants – some already awarded and some pending.
The US$2m (€1.87m) project for the first phase of the expanded interior roadway is fully funded and underway. The US$2.7m (€2.46m) walkover at 25th Street and Harborside has been approved by the board and engineered. The port has applied for a US$1.3m (€1.18m) grant from the city’s Industrial Development Corp to help fund the walkover, which will safely move pedestrians between downtown and the waterfront.
The port’s strategic masterplan identifies more than US$500m (€456m) in potential improvement projects that would take place over the next two decades. The Galveston Wharves Board of Trustees approved the masterplan in December 2019 and now is evaluating and prioritising projects for implementation.
Image: Port of Galveston
