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Gulf Intracoastal Waterway Capacity Study

Project Summary

It is in the long-term interest of TXDOT to encourage greater usage of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW), particularly if cargoes being transported on the state highway system can be diverted to barge. However, like all transportation infrastructure, the GIWW is at risk of reaching capacity constraints that could arise along entire segments of the waterway or at individual locations subject to significant congestion. To date, there has not been a systematic, operational, data-driven approach by TxDOT to look at vessel movements along the entire Texas GIWW to determine if and where capacity problems might exist. The Research Team will employ an existing database of historic vessel activity for locations along the GIWW to provide an overview of vessel movements, which will be supplemented with interviews with key stakeholders. The research team will synthesize background research and summarize existing data on vessel effects, as they relate to safety and navigation, and summarize current and future vessel activity along the GIWW, its tributary channels, and intersecting ship channels. Finally, the research team will outline a set of criteria for tracking conditions along the GIWW that identify specific triggers or milestones that would suggest improvements to the GlWW’s future Operations or infrastructure.

Project Number

0-6884

Status

Completed

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