Governor Greg Abbott Directs $180 Million for Gulf Intracoastal Waterway Dredging and Lock Upgrades

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Governor Greg Abbott announced on Monday the distribution of $180 million in state maritime capital grants through the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Maritime Division to deepen commercial navigation channels, modernize automated flood locks, and construct engineered beneficial-use dredge islands along the Texas Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW).

The 379-mile Texas portion of the GIWW carries more than 75 million tons of commercial cargo annually—including liquefied natural gas, refined fuels, industrial chemicals, steel, and agricultural grain—serving as the primary marine freight conduit connecting Texas seaports from Port Arthur to Brownsville.

Protecting Critical Petrochemical and Agricultural Marine Corridors Barge transportation along the GIWW takes an estimated 3 million commercial freight trucks off congested Texas highways annually, yet siltation and aging 1940s-era flood locks have caused navigation bottlenecks.

"The Texas Gulf Coast is the maritime gateway to global trade and the epicenter of America's energy and chemical manufacturing economy," Governor Abbott said at the Port of Corpus Christi. "By investing $180 million into the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, we are removing millions of tons of freight from our highways, protecting coastal navigation channels from shoaling, and ensuring Texas ports maintain their dominant position in international commerce."

Major Waterway Projects Funded Key awards under the $180 million package include:

• Brazos River Floodgates Modernization (Freeport): $65 million to construct 125-foot automated sector gate locks replacing narrow 75-foot 1940s structures.
• Colorado River Locks Safety Expansion (Matagorda County): $45 million for hydraulic automated gate controls and barge mooring basins.
• Corpus Christi to Brownsville Channel Deepening: $40 million for continuous 14-foot authorized depth maintenance dredging.
• Beneficial-Use Marsh Restoration Berms: $30 million to construct engineered containment dykes utilizing dredged sediment to create 1,200 acres of new coastal marsh habitat.

Texas maritime association directors and port authority commissioners commended the investment, highlighting that modernized lock gates eliminate hazardous marine cross-currents and prevent commercial barge collisions.