Despite its benefit to the petrochemical industry and the state’s overall economy, most Texans know very little about the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW). Though it stretches from Brownsville, Texas, to Carrabelle, Florida, the Texas leg hugs the shoreline to Orange. The robust activity along those 379 miles of coastline will soon be described in a study conducted by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) as part of a first-of-its-kind GIWW master plan being developed by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).
“Our interest in studying all aspects of the Intracoastal Waterway really grew from the planned Panama Canal expansion project,” Sarah Bagwell, TxDOT’s policy and planning coordinator, explains. “Last year, we established the agency’s first Maritime Division to keep tabs on the expansion and study what that could mean for Texas. A GIWW master plan is a natural step for the division.” (Read More)