The Theo T heads to sea from the Port of Corpus Christi on Dec. 31, 2015, with the first export of crude oil in the U.S. since Congress lifted the ban Dec. 18. With a deeper, wider ship channel, the port will be able to handle bigger ships and increased traffic due to the lifting of the ban. Photo courtesy Port of Corpus Christi
Deep and wide. The Corpus Christi ship channel will soon be flowing deeper and wider now that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has signed a partnership agreement with the Port of Corpus Christi Authority Commission. The two entities signed a Project Partnership Agreement on Sept. 9 to widen the channel to 530 feet from 500 feet and deepen it to 54 feet from its current 47 feet. An area along San Jose Island will be widened to 700 feet from 600 feet.
Additional barge shelves also will be dredged to allow for ships to move out of the right of way. The project will allow for two-way traffic in the channel and make way for larger deep-draft vessels.
“The Port of Corpus Christi has designated this project its number one priority,” said Charles W. Zahn, chairman of the Port of Corpus Christi Commission. “With the signing of this agreement, its merit is proven as a national infrastructure priority as well.”
The agreement allows the port to kickstart the project with $32 million, which should eventually be reimbursed via federal appropriations of $102 million. The Army Corps of Engineers is expected to provide $225 million for the total estimated cost of $327 million.
“Our team has worked toward this momentous project for a very long time,” said Port Corpus Christi Executive Director John LaRue. “With our port’s accelerated funding, we can get started on the deepening and widening of the Corpus Christi ship channel because of this important agreement and look forward to future funding and construction of the remaining phases for this nationally critical infrastructure project.
The rapidly growing Port Corpus Christi is the fourth-largest port in the United States in total tonnage. It runs 36 miles from the Gulf of Mexico to Harbor Island near Port Aransas.
