The fourth and final phase of the Port of Corpus Christi's Ship Channel Improvement Project is one step closer to receiving federal funding.
The funding is part of President Joe Biden's $5.8 trillion budget for the 2023 fiscal year, which heavily invests in American resources; $157 million of it is earmarked to go toward the final phase of the deepening and widening the ship channel.
Port of Corpus Christi CEO Sean Strawbridge said this project was approved by Congress 15 years ago, but didn't get federal funding until 2017.
Strawbridge said finishing this project will truly be satisfying.
"After the project is completed, we will have the most improved ship channel in the entire U.S. gulf," he said.
Phases two and three currently are underway.
With this proposed federal funding, the Port of Corpus Christi hopes to have the full project finished by the end of next year. Once it's finished, the port will be able to handle two-way traffic across Corpus Christi Bay.
Currently, it handles only one-way traffic.
