A nearly 80,000-square-foot abandoned dry dock off Port Bolivar will be removed through a project with the Texas Land Commissioners’ office.
The dry dock is visible from the Galveston-Port Bolivar Ferry as it sits in the water just off Port Bolivar near the Bolivar ferry landing.
“Having spent over a decade living on Galveston Island, I am committed to ensuring the waters that support the Port Bolivar Ship Channel and Gulf Intracoastal Waterway are safe for the ships that navigate them,” said Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham in a release from her office.
“Removing this abandoned dry dock will eliminate it as a potentially serious navigational hazard after hurricane storm surges and as a threat to maritime commerce in Texas,” she said.
The funding comes from $2 million in Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act funding and $1.8 million from the Surface Damage Account, according to the release.
Buckingham said her office has received complaints about the abandoned structure and prioritized the project. She also said the dry dock could be a hazard in the current hurricane season.
“Without this funding for an emergency removal, the dock would continue to deteriorate rapidly, requiring removal at its current location and more than doubling the cost,” she said.