Happy Thursday! We hope you are enjoying the day!
We went to the Greater Houston Port Bureau’s (GHPB) Commerce
Club Luncheon at the Houston Marriot South at Hobby Airport today.
The speaker was Geir Eilif
Kalhagen, Maritime Director for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). Mr. Kalhagen was bringing our luncheon an
overview on how TxDOT was helping Texas ports and waterways.
Mr. Kalhagen gave us a talk on
the direction the agency has in store for Texas ports and waterways. With 28% of the State’s Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) coming from the ports and waterways of Texas the state has turned its on eyes
them, and how they can improve transportation, safety, and economic development
on this important sector. TxDOT has realized Texas has 23 seaports and
navigation districts which bring in goods from all over the world as well as export
goods, and they have a big impact on the Texas economy and the U.S. economy. Mr.
Kalhagen spoke of the Port Authority Advisory Committee (PAAC) and how
it looks out for the ports and maritime industry and makes recommendations to
the Texas Transportation Commission. PAAC
have been working with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and Tourism
trying to help the Texas ports and waterways.
The Texas Legislature has implemented the PAAC’s Port Mission Plan. The Port Mission Plan
has 3 parts: Seaport Connectivity, Maritime Infrastructure, and Ship
Channel. The Port Mission Plan has
influenced our state lawmakers and here are some of the highlights from the 88TH
and 89th Legislature. They
created a law to help fund port development and infrastructure projects through
TxDOT’s Maritime Infrastructure Program (MIP), funding for TxDOT will be coming
for state highway and public roadways through the Seaport Connectivity Program
to make improvement, and funds will be coming to the Ship Channel Revolving Fund
(SCIRF) which currently is funding projects at two Texas ports. With collaboration with the Governor’s Office,
they will be looking to bringing domestic ship building to Texas. Recently, Galveston Wharves has had a
Canadian shipbuilder buy a company along its shores.
TxDOT will be building on the
work it has done in previous years.
They are hoping to make a GIS story map on the ports and waterways of
Texas. They have advised the 90th
Legislature they need funding for waterway sustainability. In
addition, TxDOT will be working on and will be looking into funding for a state-of-the-art
identification system, and bathymetric data and digital twin according to Mr.
Kalhagen. TxDOT will continue creating
and repairing the ecology in the Gulf’s Intracoastal Waterway with the U.S Army
Corps of Engineers (USACE) and one of its successes is the Peirce Marsh
Restoration Project. Three bridges have
been brought to the attention to TxDOT for being at possible risk for collisions
and they are looking into what can be done to alleviate the risks. Lastly, they are working on the workforce of
the future for maritime. We wish TxDOT
much success in improving safety and implementing the improvements they have
for Texas ports and waterways!
Thank you, Gier Eilif Kalhagen! You are an interesting and informative
speaker, and we are looking forward to seeing what the Maritime Division of
TxDOT has in store for the port and waterways of Texas!
As you see the speakers at
the GHPB’s Commerce Club Luncheons bring an informative talk to
all that attend. The next Commerce
Club Luncheon is September 11, 2025, at 11 a.m. The guest speaker at the next luncheon is Sector
Commander Nicole Rodriquez of the Sector Houston-Galveston USCG. She should give us a good talk on issues
affecting the U.S. Coast Guard and the maritime industry. Captain
Rodrigeuz has spoken in the past at GHPB’s Women of Maritime Happy Hour
and she gave an informative talk. Please
check out the website, if you would like to learn more or would like to come to
the next one; please click the link: September 2025 GHPB Commerce Club Luncheon - Greater Houston Port Bureau.
If you would like help in
figuring out how to get your product moving with less of a carbon footprint,
contact us via the email on the Blog or give us a call: 281-901-5554. Check out our ESC website!