On Tuesday October 27, 2025, the Port of Houston issued a press release announcing the completion of its portion of the Houston Ship Channel Expansion (Project 11). Initially planned in 2010, Project 11 focuses on widening the ship channel from 530’ to 700’ to increase maneuverability for larger vessels, enhance navigational safety, and improve operational efficiency. The Port of Houston together with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has now completed the final Port-led dredging portion of the project – successfully widening Galveston Bay from Bolivar Roads to Morgans Point.
The Port of Houston handles 12% of U.S. waterborne tonnage and averages nearly 1.2 MMb/d of crude oil exports year-to-date in 2025, according to our Crude Voyager Report.
This expansion further enhances the channel’s ability to handle larger and more diverse vessels while reducing congestion - a key threat to continued growth of the Port of Houston. Revised Navigation Safety Guidelines also extended daylight hours by up to 2.5 hours, allowing for smoother two-way traffic and improved scheduling flexibility for cargos.
