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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Galveston District, the Brownsville Navigation District (BND), which operates the Port of Brownsville, and NextDecade celebrated the completion of the Brazos Island Harbor Channel Improvement Project with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Port of Brownsville, June 25, 2026.
The project deepened the Brownsville Ship Channel by an additional 10 feet, increasing the entrance and jetty channels from 44 feet to 54 feet and the main channel from 42 feet to 52 feet. The completed project places the Port of Brownsville among Texas’ deepest deep-draft ports, and the Brownsville Ship Channel among the deepest navigation channels in the Gulf region.
The deeper channel improves maritime access for larger vessels carrying heavier cargo, increases navigation safety, reduces transit times and strengthens the role of South Texas in the nation’s maritime supply chain.
"Today’s completion is more than a navigation milestone – it’s a strategic investment in America’s economic strength," said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. George H. Walter, USACE Southwestern Division commander. "This deeper, safer federal channel expands our capacity for international trade, strengthens critical energy infrastructure and demonstrates how modern infrastructure can advance both economic security and U.S. energy dominance."
The ceremony brought together federal, state and local leaders and project partners, including Col. David W. Dake, USACE Galveston District commander; Sergio Tito Lopez, BND chairman; William Dietrich, Port of Brownsville port director and CEO; and Tarik Skeik, NextDecade chief operating officer. U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, whose Texas 34th Congressional District includes the Port of Brownsville, also recognized the project’s completion and its importance to South Texas.
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