Port of Galveston Opens New Berth with 1st Cargo Vessel Call

Port of Galveston Opens New Berth with 1st Cargo Vessel Call

July 3, 2026

GALVESTON, Texas (July 3, 2026) – The Port of Galveston’s new cargo berth officially opened for business July 2 with a Wallenius Wilhelmsen cargo carrier delivering roll-on/roll-off cargo at the West Port Cargo Complex.

The 656-foot-long MS Toledo offloaded hundreds of pieces of heavy construction equipment from Brazil and the Far East to be transported by truck to destinations in Texas and Middle America. Then union workers loaded heavy construction and farm equipment bound for Brazil and Australia. 

The 1,410-foot-long berth at Pier 39-40 is part of the port’s $106 million cargo facility expansion project begun in 2024 and completed in 2026. Work to repair and expand the cargo area also included enclosing two outdated slips, filling one slip, repaving and repairing cargo handling areas, and demolishing a decommissioned grain elevator.

The project, which will add almost 30 acres to the previously 60-acre facility, was funded with port operating revenues and a $36 million Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) grant. A future phase will include filling the second slip to add another 6 acres. 

Galveston Wharves Port Director and CEO Rodger Rees, said, “This is the first time in decades that the port has made a significant investment in its cargo business. Driven by cargo tenant demand, the expansion paves the way for major cargo growth to generate hundreds of new jobs and tremendous economic growth for the region. Additional land also allows us to consider other types of cargo not previously handled.”

Rees credited the Galveston Wharves Board of Trustees for its commitment to the major project and the Texas Legislature and TxDOT for jumpstarting the project with critical funding. He added that the port’s growing cruise business generated the revenues to fund the cargo area improvements.

TxDOT Maritime Division Director Geir-Eilif Kalhagen added, “This $36 million state investment added capacity and will help the Port of Galveston operate more efficiently as demand continues to grow. When the state partners with seaports on projects like this, we’re not just improving infrastructure, but strengthening the supply chain, supporting job growth, and ensuring Texas remains competitive nationally and globally.”

Located on Galveston Harbor, one of the nation’s busiest cargo waterways, the port moves 3 million tons of general and breakbulk cargos, including roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) and giant wind turbine pieces a year. Cargo handling at public and private facilities on the harbor generates almost 20,000 jobs and a $6.5 billion economic impact statewide.

About the Port of Galveston

Located at the entrance to Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel, the Port of Galveston has been a thriving maritime commercial center since 1825. Just 45 minutes from open seas, the 840-acre port has infrastructure and assets to serve growing cruise, cargo, commercial and shipbuilding businesses. 

The port is the fourth-ranked cruise home port in the U.S. with four cruise terminals. In 2026 the port forecasts 446 sailings and 3.9 million passenger movements, a new record for the port. 

The port also leases and maintains a wide range of cargo facilities on the deep-water Galveston Harbor, which is ranked among the top 40 busiest U.S. cargo waterways. The Galveston Wharves is a self-sustaining city entity whose mission is to generate and reinvest port revenues to benefit the Galveston community with economic growth, jobs and sales tax revenues. 

MEDIA: Kathy Thomas, Port Communications Director, kathy@communitystrategiesllc.com