GALVESTON, Texas — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Galveston District and its non-federal sponsor, the Velasco Drainage District, will co-host three virtual public information sessions, January 18, 19 and 20, to provide an update on the Freeport and Vicinity Project as well as the Sabine Pass to Galveston Bay (S2G) Coastal Storm Risk Management (CSRM) Program.
These information sessions are being conducted virtually, exercising COVID-19 safety precautions for group gatherings as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention.
The sessions will include information about project status and next steps, as well as a question-and-answer session following the presentation.
The schedule for WebEx sessions is as follows:
Tuesday, January 18, 2022 11:30 – 1 PM CST
Wednesday, January 19, 2022 11:30 – 1 PM CST
Thursday, January 20, 2022 11:30 – 1 PM CST
Each session can be accessed via the project website at: https://www.swg.usace.army.mil/S2G/Freeport/
Click on the “Virtual Public Information Sessions” link for instructions to join the discussion.
One of three projects encompassed within the larger S2G Program, the Freeport Project will include approximately 18 miles of levee raises; replacing I-Walls with T-Walls or constructing new T-Walls along approximately 5.5 miles of floodwall; several closure gates; and a new navigable gate at Dow Barge Canal to reduce storm surge penetration in that area.
Authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1962, these projects will help improve the existing Hurricane Flood Protection Project (HFPP) by protecting the area from coastal storm surge events from the Gulf of Mexico.
Currently, the Freeport Project is in the pre-construction engineering and design (PED) phase which is expected to be completed by the spring of 2023. Following the PED, construction will commence and is expected to take 3.5 years to complete.