Barbours Cut Expansion enters state coastal review

September 24, 2026

The Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council has granted the Port Houston Authority coverage under the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST-41), for its Barbours Cut Northside Expansion Project (BCNE). 

The move in July allows the Permitting Council to provide support to the Port Authority as it moves through permitting processes. 

The proposed 318-acre marine cargo terminal aims to provide additional capacity once the port’s existing container facilities reach their limits. The authority submitted its application for the project to the Galveston District of the Army Corps of Engineers Sept. 2. 

The project entered a Texas coastal consistency review with the Texas General Land Office Monday. 

The Army Corps of Engineers began preparing an Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed project before sending it to the General Land Office for a coastal consistency review. 

Membership in the federal Coastal Zone Management Program allows a state to participate in the federal consistency review process and have influence over federal actions occurring in the state’s coastal area. 

The GLO has opened a public comment period that will expire next month. 

What comes after a coastal consistency review? 

Once the review is complete, the Corps will choose to finalize and issue the underlying permit, license, and, or funding.

Port Houston expects its existing container terminals to reach maximum throughput capacity by 2033. 

The Port Authority proposes the project in phases which would begin no later than 2032, with terminal capacity anticipated to be available by approximately 2036.

The project would add two berthing slips capable of simultaneously handling two ultra-large container vessels, around 3,200 ft of new wharf and an expanded turning basin.

The proposed project would require dredging and excavation across more than 66 acres, a new 135-acre dredged material placement facility and two terminal access roads, together with upgrades to roads around the SH 225 and SH 146 interchange.

Impact on Neighbors

Chambers County lines stretch to port waters next to La Porte and is home to Cedar Port, Cedar Crossing industrial area and the M-146 Marine Highway Connector, which provides a waterborne connection between Cedar Bayou and the Houston Ship Channel. 

The county is currently experiencing rapid population and transportation growth while battling with managing matched funding for Texas Department of Transportation projects. 

County Economic Development Director Samantha Humphries said the county is an “Economic Development Triffecta” of interstate, railway and barge traffic. The county’s major highways include I-10, SH 146 and SH 99. The county also sits at the intersection of Port Houston, Port of Galveston and Cedar Port. 

Humphrey said the county is well positioned for manufacturing, industry, warehousing and industry investment. 

“The more effectively we can utilize interstate, rail and barge, the better positioned we are to support continued economic growth while reducing some of the pressure additional freight places on our roadways,” Humphry said. 

There is no origin destination study that shows the total Port Houston related traffic through Chambers County.

Matt Fleming, vice president of business development at TGS Cedar Port Industrial Park, however, said in 2023 the company estimated 20% to 30% of the container volume from Port Houston originated from Cedar Port or is sourced to them. 

Port Houston’s most recent economic impact reporting shows that the Houston Ship Channel complex supports approximately 1.5 million jobs and $439 billion in economic activity statewide. 

Chambers County participates in that economic engine through its workforce, industrial development, transportation and logistics operations, and the many businesses that make up the broader supply chain, however, the constant traffic can cause strain on county roads. 

“We are already experiencing tremendous residential and industrial growth, particularly in western Chambers County, “Humphries said. “Additional freight movement can place more pressure on I-10 and our north-south corridors, increase wear on our roadways, and create additional considerations for safety, mobility and emergency response. Our goal has to be planning infrastructure for where we are going, not simply responding to where we are today.”

Humphrey said the county still welcomes Port Houston’s expansion of container capacity as an opportunity for more growth in Chambers County. 

“Ultimately, we view Port Houston’s continued growth as an opportunity for Chambers County,” Humphrey said. “We want the jobs, investment and opportunities that come with being located in one of the most important industrial and freight regions in the country, but we also want to make sure that growth is sustainable.” 

Humphrey said the county is calling on regional partners to help prepare for incoming growth to keep up with the opportunities presented by potential port expansion. 

“Chambers County cannot address regional infrastructure needs alone,” she said. “We have to continue working with TxDOT, H-GAC, Port Houston, our cities, industry, and our state and federal partners to identify needs early and leverage outside funding opportunities wherever possible.”