Galveston Studies Pier 14 for Fifth Cruise Terminal
Pier 14 would sit between Royal Caribbean's Terminal 10 and Terminal 16, which opened in November 2025 and is used by MSC Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line.
Galveston Wharves is analyzing mobility and economic impacts for a proposed fifth cruise terminal at Pier 14 under its updated 20-Year Strategic Master Plan. A completed traffic study found minimal effects on Harborside Drive and other access roads in the port’s east cruise area. Port Director and CEO Rodger Rees said the terminal would support 1,500 jobs and $278 million in direct business revenue for the region.
Pier 14 would sit between Cruise Terminal 10, Royal Caribbean’s terminal, and Terminal 16, which opened in November 2025 and is used by MSC Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line. Galveston has doubled cruise terminal capacity from two to four since 2022, backed by $334 million in cruise-related capital investments, and is on pace for a record of almost 2 million cruise passengers this year after welcoming its 1 millionth passenger.
Traffic study shapes Pier 14 planning
“As we plan for a fifth terminal, we’ll incorporate recommendations from the completed traffic study as well as lessons learned from our first four terminals,” Rees said. He said the 107-page study, prepared by an independent engineering firm, reviewed roadway operations, identified issues and recommended improvements. The port has not named an operator.
The study found that peak terminal operations would create minimal delays at the 14th Street-Harborside Drive intersection. Rees said the delays could be addressed through a longer eastbound left-turn lane and flashing yellow arrow signals for eastbound and westbound turns.
The port has already built a two-mile internal roadway, onsite parking and new roads to improve circulation as part of its growth planning. The existing cruise terminal network is split along Harborside Drive, with Terminals 25 and 28 adjacent near downtown and the historic Strand District, and Terminals 10 and 16 more than a mile west on the port’s north end.
Broader mobility study will include downtown and adjacent neighborhoods
Galveston Wharves is preparing to hire a consultant for the first phase of a broader mobility study covering an area bounded by Galveston Harbor and 14th, 33rd and Church streets. The area includes portions of port property, adjacent neighborhoods and downtown Galveston.
“The consultant will analyze existing conditions, evaluate increased demand from future port growth and present mitigation solutions for increased traffic,” Rees said.
Rees said the new work will draw on the terminal traffic study, the port’s master plan and city and port Comprehensive Safety Action Plans. “Mobility plans look beyond traffic flow to understand and improve upon how vehicles and pedestrians move,” he said, adding that managing both pedestrian and vehicle movement will be important as Galveston grows as a cruise and tourism destination.
Master plan links cruise growth with waterfront development
The economic impact study for the fifth terminal also put projected personal income at $91.5 million and state and local tax revenue at $7.9 million. Rees said the city of Galveston and local taxpayers would benefit directly through cruise passenger and parking fee agreements with the port.
The Galveston Wharves Board of Trustees adopted the original 20-Year Strategic Master Plan in 2019 and approved an updated version in February 2026 extending the planning horizon to 2050. The updated plan calls for more than $2.4 billion in improvements and repairs over 25 years, compared with a $600 million projection in the original plan.
The plan also includes a new commercial area around Pier 15, with the Battleship Texas, hotels, retail, restaurants, greenspace and multifamily housing among the uses identified. The updated plan projects annual port revenue rising from $87.3 million in 2025 to $344 million by 2045.
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