Award: Master services
Value: Part of $35 billion Coastal Texas Project
Location: Bolivar Roads, Texas Gulf Coast
Client: Gulf Protection District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Texas General Land Office
Texas officials tapped Jacobs to help design what could amount to be the largest coastal storm surge barrier gate system in the world.
The Dallas-based company will lead engineering design for The Gate, otherwise known as the Bolivar Roads Gate System, for a partnership between the Gulf Coast Protection District, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Texas General Land Office. The structure spans the narrow strait connecting the Gulf to Galveston Bay and serves as a central element of the Coastal Texas Project, according to a Feb. 4 news release.
The entire Coastal Texas Project carries a congressionally authorized price tag of roughly $35 billion, according to a Gulf Protection District statement sent to Construction Dive, with the federal government picking up approximately 65% of the tab.
The Galveston Bay Barrier System, which is one element of the Coastal Texas Project, accounts for about 85% of that total cost. The Gate portion of the project, in which Jacobs won the master services agreement, is one of the seven features of the Galveston Bay Barrier System, according to the statement.
“There is no fixed dollar amount to the contract with Jacobs,” according to the statement sent to Construction Dive. “Each task order will define scope of work, timelines and costs.”
Once complete, Jacobs expects the gate system to protect more than 6 million residents and safeguard an estimated $800 billion in regional assets, according to the release. The barrier project, backed by nearly $1 billion in state funding, will also support continued operations along the Houston Ship Channel, one of the world’s busiest energy corridors.
“This is a generational investment in Texas’ future,” said Eva Wood, Jacobs executive vice president, in the release. “By leveraging our experience on the world’s most complex surge barrier programs, we’re delivering a system designed to focus on the Gulf Coast’s resilience to extreme weather events, while keeping the Houston Ship Channel open for commerce.”
Jacobs’ plan calls for the integration of advanced sector gates to limit storm surge while allowing continued maritime traffic. The firm will also deploy digital modeling and operational planning tools to maintain long-term reliability, according to the release.
