b'20American Journal ofTransportation ajot.com(CELEBRATIONcontinued from page 14)however, the port is the fourth most popular cruise home port in the US, hosting five major cruise lines with more than 3.4 million passenger embarkations and debarkations per year. A sixth major line will join the port in late 2025.Ourcruisebusinesshastakenoffexponen-tially,Reesasserts,andthecruisebusinessis financing almost everything that were doing in the cargobusiness.Withoutthiscruisebusiness,we would not be in the position to fund all the improve-ments currently being done at the port. P lanf or thef utureThe Port of Galveston established a Strategic MasterPlanin2019,addingtwonewcruiseter-minals, an internal roadway, expansion of the West PortCargoComplex,andindustrialdevelopment on Pelican Island. Since then, the port has delivered several major plan elements ahead of schedule and almost doubled gross revenues from $43.5 million in 2018 to $79.3 million in 2024.Duetothissuccess,theGalvestonWharves BoardofTrusteesdecidedtoupdatetheplanin 2025, based on the outlook for the next 20 years. A research report with market forecasts was presented to the public in August. The report found opportu-nities for the port to increase cargo from 3.4 mil- Roll-on/roll-off cargo continues to move across piers 39-40 at the Port of Galveston even as major improvements are underway.lion tons in 2024 to 6 million tons over the next 10 years by doubling acreage in the West Port Cargocompletion between 2024 and 2027.WestPortCargoCompleximprovementsare Complex,addingon-dockrailaccess,consolidat- Last year, the port began phased constructionfunded by a $36 million grant from the Texas Depart-ing existing rail yards, and adding warehousing towork to improve and expand its West Port Cargoment of Transportation Maritime Division, plus approx-attract new cargoes such as lumber. Complex, the main area for the majority of the portsimately $60 million from port operating revenues and The report also forecast that Galvestons cruisecargo operations. The work includes enclosing twoother sources. Rees estimates the port improvements market capture will triple by 2045, growing fromoutdatedslips,buildinganew1,300-foot-longare about 75% complete, and he expects the new docks 3.4millionpassengerembarkationsanddebarka- berth, replacing 6 acres of paving, new heavy cargoto be open for business by second quarter of 2026. tions today to 9 million or more in 2045a level ofinternalroadwayanddemolishingadecommis- Galveston Wharves also owns more than 300 success that would likely help the port expand cargosioned 95-year-old grain elevator. Once completed,undeveloped acres on nearby Pelican Island, includ-operations further as well. the improvements will add approximately 31-acresing 2,500 linear feet of shoreline with deep-water Consultants are currently working on the planto the 64-acre cargo area on Galveston Harbor. access. The port is currently exploring future devel-updateswhichpotentiallyrepresentupto$600Wererebuildingtheportinfrastructureandopment opportunities on the island as well as sup-million in major maintenance and capital projects replacing decayed, unusable docks, Rees explains.portingaproposedstateprojecttobuildanew and Galveston Wharves expects to see a draft of theThese berths have not been repaired since the earlybridge to the island to replace a decaying 60-year-new Master Plan in September. 1970s, and theyve seen several devastating stormsold structure. Rees envisions the island as a poten-since then. tial location for shipbuilding.h oMeP orti MProveMent A future phase will include filling the two slips,In 2024, the port handled 781,000 tons of break-As part of the Strategic Master Plan, the portas well as enclosing and filling a third slip. Thesebulk,includingRo/Ro,projectcargoandgeneral has invested $105 million in cargo-related improve- two projects will add another 19 acres for cargo han- cargoes, with the majority imported from Europe and ments either completed, in progress or planned fordling at the port. (CELEBRATIONcontinued on page 53)'