Business and Finance

PORT AUTHORITY OF HOUSTON CONTINUES CHANNEL DREDGING

Dredging of the federal portion of the Barbours Cut Channel is almost complete and dredging in Bayport Channel began in November.

In Barbour Cut Channel the berthing area depth would be increased by dredging to shift the channel 75 feet to the north while maintaining the 300-foot channel width. Additionally the channel and berthing areas would be deepened to 45 feet. An Orion Marine cutter suction dredge performed the work which ran through December 2014.

Dredged material will be pumped to the adjacent confined disposal area on Spilman Island just north of the channel.

In Bayport Channel dredging will deepen and widen the channel by 50 to 100 feet. Dredging began last summer preparing the placement area located on Atkinson Island. The overall project will continue through June 2014.

The existing Bayport Ship Channel and Bayport berths will be dredged and deepened by five feet (to -45’); the north side of the channel will also be widened by 100’ in the bay area and by 50’ in front of the terminal.

By the beginning of December the Port of Houston Authority was expecting a banner year for 2014 with 34 million tons of cargo handled through November 2014.

Executive Director Roger Guenther said cargo operations for November reflect a 15 percent increase in container TEUs and an 82 percent growth in steel imports year over year.