Port Houston March 2026 Meeting: Project 11 Expansion Recognized for Engineering Excellence

American Society of Civil Engineers honors Project 11 team; Port Commission advances investments to support growth and data-driven planning

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On Monday, March 23, the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority met for its regular monthly meeting.

Celebrating the Success of Port-Led Project 11 Expansion Work

The meeting served as a moment to celebrate and recognize the many partners and team members who contributed to the successful delivery of Segments 1 and 2 of Project 11, the Houston Ship Channel expansion, highlighting the project’s unprecedented process, speed, and collaboration. With the dredging of Port‑led segments now complete, approximately 76% of the project’s total length has been finished.

Key elements of the effort included:

• A partnership of Port Houston and industry stakeholders willing to commit to pay for the project to accelerate delivery;
• In partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Port Houston’s leadership in designing, contracting, and managing construction for Segments 1 and 2, which resulted in savings, efficiency and rapid delivery; and
• Changes to state procurement laws that reduced bureaucracy, improved efficiency, and enabled negotiation with contractors to bring cleaner dredges.

As a result of the completed work, Port Houston has eliminated longstanding nighttime vessel movement restrictions that had been in place for more than a century, allowing large vessels to safely transit the channel without waiting for daylight. Port Houston expressed appreciation to the Houston Pilots for their continued leadership in ensuring safe and efficient navigation.

At the meeting, the American Society of Civil Engineers presented the 2025 Texas Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award to the Project 11: Houston Ship Channel Expansion, Segments 1-2 team. The award recognizes the project’s engineering excellence and the effectiveness of the local-federal partnership that enabled rapid delivery.

Reflecting on this achievement, Port Commission Chairman Ric Campo said, “The work you all did and continue to do to keep our channel safe and efficient is important, and I’m thrilled that your work is being honored with this award. You continue to make us proud.”

Meeting Highlights

The Port Commission approved updates to its public comment policy to better balance Commissioner desire to hear from stakeholders with the need to conduct business efficiently. Starting with the April meeting, public speakers must register by noon on the last business day before the meeting. If 10 or fewer speakers register, each will be allotted three minutes; if more than 10 speakers register, each will be allotted one minute.

Notably, the Port Commission also approved a marine construction permit for Exxon Mobil adjacent to its Houston Ship Channel facility. The project adds a new ship dock, related marine structures, and a dredged basin to support petrochemical load-out to ships and barges for domestic and international export.

Commissioners also approved amendments to Port Houston tariffs to clarify requirements for containerized hazardous cargo and to reduce free time for refrigerated containers. These changes align Port Houston’s rules with other major markets and reinforce the port’s role as a transit facility that prioritizes efficient cargo handling over extended storage.

In addition, the Commission authorized a professional services contract with HNTB Corporation for a freight mobility impact analysis that will quantify potential impacts to the regional economy, the state of Texas, and the national supply chain if critical highway planning and construction projects do not proceed.

Port Houston also reported on volumes at the public terminals, with cargo volumes up 4% in February. This brings total cargo to nearly nine million tons since the start of 2026, up 5% through February, compared to last year. More details can be found via the press release issued on March 16.

Finally, Chairman Campo opened the meeting by congratulating Commissioners Wendy Montoya Cloonan and Thomas Jones, Jr. on their reappointments to the Port Commission. Commissioner Cloonan will continue serving as Chair of the Community Relations and Governance Committees, and Commissioner Jones will continue to lead the Strategic Sourcing Committee, in addition to serving on other committees.

The Port Commission will meet next on Tuesday, April 28, 2026.

About Port Houston

For more than 100 years, Port Houston has owned and operated the public wharves and terminals along the Houston Ship Channel, including the area’s largest breakbulk facility and two of the most efficient container terminals in the country. Port Houston is the advocate and a strategic leader for the Channel. The Houston Ship Channel complex and its more than 200 private and eight public terminals is the nation’s largest port for waterborne tonnage and an essential economic engine for the Houston region, the state of Texas and the U.S. The Port of Houston supports the creation of nearly 1.5 million jobs in Texas and 3.37 million jobs nationwide, and economic activity totaling $439 billion in Texas and $906 billion in economic impact across the nation. For more information, visit the website at PortHouston.com.