File photo
The Coastal Texas project, commonly known as the Ike Dike, has been in the works since Hurricane Ike devastated Galveston in 2008.
Congress has allocated its first round of funding for the Coastal Texas Project – known locally as the “Ike Dike” – since lawmakers authorized the long-envisioned infrastructure initiative in 2022.
The bill that would allocate the funds is awaiting President Donald Trump’s signature, but the coastal project is expected to receive at least $5 million in federal funding once the legislation is signed into law. The project’s leaders have asked the White House for an additional $25 million in federal funding.
“Just getting it authorized was a big deal. Getting it funded? Even bigger deal,” said Coalter Baker, the executive director of the Gulf Coast Protection District, which oversees the state’s coastal projects.
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The Coastal Texas Project includes a series of barriers off the Gulf Coast, aimed at protecting the state’s coastline and the Houston region’s petrochemical industry from storm surge during hurricanes. It’s the brainchild of a Texas A&M professor, who envisioned the project after Hurricane Ike wreaked havoc across Houston and Galveston in 2008.
The initiative is projected to cost at least $35 billion, though that number could be higher. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is leading the project, found that the Ike Dike and other barrier construction along the Texas coast could cost up to $57 billion and take 20 years to complete.
The Army Corps of Engineers previously allocated $500,000 for the Coastal Texas Project, but lawmakers denied a request for an additional $100 million from U.S. Rep. Randy Weber of Galveston in 2023.
Weber secured the $5 million in funding for the Ike Dike as part of $30 million in funding for coastal projects in Southeast Texas.
“This funding package has now cleared both chambers, and more than $30 million is heading back to Southeast Texas once the President signs it into law,” Weber said in a news release last week. “That means more ships moving through our ports, paychecks for working families, and stronger protections for a coastline that fuels America’s economy. These projects support thousands of jobs and generate billions of dollars in our backyard every year.”
Baker also said the congressional funding marks an important milestone for the project.
“It shows that the federal government is willing to invest in this vital project, which is really what you need,” he said.
While the project has sought federal funding, it’s also received $950 million from the state so far. Last year, Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill to create an account to manage funds for the project.