Off the Texas coast, hundreds of tons of cement railroad ties, concrete structures and other durable materials are being placed on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico to create new habitat for marine life. The latest example is the HI-54 Deep Artificial Reef Project, a 160-acre reef site that reached a major milestone in summer 2026 after years of planning and coordination. According to a Port Arthur LNG report published on August 25, 2026, the completed reef includes 300 pyramids, 102 cement culverts, 400 tons of cement railroad ties, 100 low-relief habitat plates, 17 quarry rocks and numerous cement piling cut-offs. Port Arthur LNG and industry partners, including Bechtel, its engineering, procurement and construction contractor, contributed materials and funding to the project. Clean, unused concrete culverts that had been staged at the Port Arthur LNG project site were also incorporated into the reef.
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