The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway is approximately 15 miles south of the port.
The port's channel was later deepened to 25 feet and a turning basin was added.
[6] Plans to deepen the Sabine-Neches Waterway to 48 feet received federal approval in 2014.
The $1.1 billion deepening project is expected to start in 2017 and is estimated to take between 12 and 15 years to complete.
[10][11] Once a division of the city of Beaumont, the port was established in 1949 by the 51st Texas Legislature as a navigation district, or separate taxing entity.