Freight News, Sea

Galveston Fills Berth to Create Cargo Capacity

[ April 24, 2026   //   Gary Burrows ]

The Galveston Wharves has reached a key milestone in its US$106 million West Port Cargo Complex program, filling in an outdated berth to create new cargo-handling capacity, said Port Director and CEO Rodger Rees.

The Pier 38-39 slip fill, part of a multiphase infrastructure upgrade funded by port revenues and a state grant, will add more than six acres of operational space and contribute to a broader expansion of more than 30 acres across the complex.

“The slips were created in 1916 as part of a large expansion project,” said Jeffry Thomas, chief engineer. “Today, they are no longer used for cargo because today’s cargo ships are too large.”

The port identified filling the slips as a way to expand capacity and modernize facilities back in 2019.

Engineering work began with construction of a 200-foot retaining wall using steel sheet and pipe piling to seal the slip. Dredging crews then pumped about 400,000 cubic yards of material into the basin beginning in February, operating around the clock for roughly three months.

Material was sourced from West Bay under federal permits, with water from the dredging process treated and discharged based on environmental standards or redirected to a designated placement area on Pelican Island, according to Thomas.

Costs for the slip fill are expected to remain below US$34 million.

The newly created land will require additional time to stabilize before full cargo operations can begin. Port officials expect to pave the area with asphalt within two years, followed by concrete surfacing over a five- to 10-year period, depending on settlement rates.

The project also includes construction of a new berth and demolition of a decommissioned grain elevator, part of a broader effort to reposition the port for growth in breakbulk and project cargo.

Tags: Galveston Wharves