Professor questions Houston/Galveston’s canal preparedness

   A Texas A&M University-Galveston professor called on Houston-Galveston leaders to better prepare the region for the opening of a wider set of Panama Canal locks in early 2015.
   “Everyone needs to be on the same page because it’s a case of ready or not – the ships are coming,” said William Merrell, a professor of ocean and coastal policy, with a speciality in coastal sustainability. “There is no doubt the Panama Canal upgrade will produce substantially increased shipping traffic in the Gulf of Mexico and the East Coast. So the question is, are we ready for this?”
   Merrell noted Houston’s ship channel is 45 feet, which wouldn’t allow it to handle larger ships capable of transiting the widened locks.
   “If dredging is necessary, it could take years to accommodate these big ships,” he warned.
   It may be necessary to have a deepwater channel closer to the mouth of Galveston Bay to allow the bigger ships better access into  and out of Houston and Galveston, Merrell said.
   “That may or may not be feasible, but we at least have to determine what needs to be done,” he said. “Also, the expected increases in shipping will no doubt impact other areas, such as railroad lines and trucking routes, which are almost certainly going to feel the stress in upcoming years.
   “There is the potential for thousands of jobs to be created by the time the canal project is finished in a few years. This is a critical time for this entire region, and we need to make sure Houston and Galveston work together as effectively as possible to make sure we take advantage of this wonderful opportunity heading our way.”