en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Port of Galveston's new cargo berth officially entered operation on July 2, with the first vessel to dock being a roll-on/roll-off cargo ship operated by Wallenius Wilhelmsen, unloading cargo at the West Port Cargo Complex.
The 656-foot-long "MS Toledo" unloaded hundreds of heavy construction equipment pieces shipped from Brazil and the Far East, which will be transported by truck to various locations across Texas and the U.S. Midwest. Subsequently, union workers loaded heavy construction equipment and agricultural machinery destined for Brazil and Australia.
The new 1,410-foot-long berth at Piers 39-40 is part of the port's $106 million cargo facility expansion project. The project commenced in 2024 and was completed in 2026. Work included closing two old berths and filling in one of them, renovating and repairing cargo handling areas, and demolishing a retired grain elevator.
The expansion will add nearly 30 acres to the original 60-acre facility, funded by port operating revenues and a $36 million grant from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). Future phases plan to fill in the second old berth, adding another 6 acres.
Rodger Rees, Port Director and CEO of the Galveston Wharves, stated that this is the port's first major investment in cargo operations in decades. Driven by demand from cargo tenants, this expansion paves the way for significant growth in cargo volume, which will create hundreds of new jobs and economic growth in the region. The additional land also allows the port to consider handling other types of cargo it has not previously dealt with.
Rees expressed gratitude for the support from the Galveston Wharves Board of Trustees and thanked the Texas Legislature and TxDOT for providing critical funding to launch the project. He also noted that revenue generated by the port's growing cruise business provided financial support for improvements in the cargo area.
Geir-Eilif Kalhagen, Director of the TxDOT Maritime Division, added that this $36 million state-level investment increases port capacity and will help the Port of Galveston operate more efficiently as demand continues to grow. When the state partners with seaports on such projects, it not only improves infrastructure, but also strengthens supply chains, supports job growth, and ensures Texas remains competitive nationally and globally.
Located on the Galveston Harbor, one of the busiest cargo waterways in the United States, the Port of Galveston handles 3 million tons of general cargo and breakbulk cargo annually, including roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) cargo and wind turbine components. Cargo handling operations at public and private facilities within the port area create nearly 20,000 jobs statewide and generate a $6.5 billion economic impact.
