The Corpus Christi Ship Channel Improvement Project has been included in President Joe Biden’s proposed fiscal year 2023 budget.  The targeted project closeout appropriations of $157.3 million is under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Coastal Navigation Construction category of the budget.
Should it be approved by Congress, the appropriation would complete the Channel Improvement Project, which is widening and deepening the passageway to accommodate the world’s largest ships. The Port of Corpus Christi is the largest gateway for U.S. energy exports and the third-largest U.S. seaport in total waterway tonnage.
“The inclusion of the Corpus Christi Ship Channel Improvement Project in President Biden’s fiscal year 2023 budget is a clear signal that the administration values the American energy sector while recognizing the importance of exporting U.S. energy to our allies and partners,” said Sean Strawbridge, chief executive officer for the Port of Corpus Christi. 
Scheduled to be completed next year, the project will significantly increase U.S. exports of energy and agricultural products from Texas and the United States, Strawbridge said. The U.S. military relies on the infrastructure of the port for increased mobility. 
“We are grateful to those members of the Texas congressional delegation on both sides of the aisle for their unwavering sponsorship,” Strawbridge said in a statement.
The proposed budget amount of $157.3 million is the largest single-year budgetary allocation from the federal government compared to prior years’ budgets. The CIP has received nearly $250 million in federal appropriations to the Corps of Engineers thus far, with the Port of Corpus Christi appropriating another $190 million in cost share funds.
A four-phase project, Texas-based dredging companies Callan Marine Ltd. and Great Lakes Dredge & Dock LLC are currently conducting dredging operations for phases 2 and 3, respectively.
Channel depth is to increase from -47 feet Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW) to -54 feet MLLW. It will be widened to 530 feet, with an additional 400 feet of barge shelves. 
“The Port of Corpus Christi’s strategic importance to the local, state and national economy cannot be overstated, and we are thankful to the Administration and our Texas Delegation for their support in closing out this monumental infrastructure project,” said Charles W. Zahn, Port of Corpus Christi Commission chairman. “Closing out this project has been over 30 years in the making, a project vital for essential American goods to flow to our trading partners and allies who depend on our customers’ ability to do so as safely, efficiently and dependably as possible.”