Georgia: State Allocates Additional $50 Million to Savannah Harbor Deepening

The $50 million in additional port deepening funds proposed by Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has been approved by the state legislature and now awaits the governor’s signature. 

Counting previous funding, Georgia has allocated $231.1 million so far toward the state’s portion of the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP). 

SHEP will deepen Savannah Harbor from 42 feet to 47 feet and make other improvements such as a larger turning basin and wider channel turns. The Savannah River, which experiences a seven-foot tidal change twice a day, will continue to host two-way containership traffic. The additional draft will accommodate the super-sized container ships the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) expects at its facilities following completion of the Panama Canal expansion.

"This infrastructure investment is crucial not just for the port, but for the economy of Georgia and the entire Southeast,” said Governor Deal. "A deeper Savannah Harbor means greater efficiency for 21,000 U.S. companies, 75 percent of which are headquartered outside of Georgia. A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study has shown that SHEP will reduce shipping costs for private companies by at least $213 million a year. Neither Georgia nor this nation can afford to delay a project that provides customers with a tool that reduces their costs.” 

The new funding was part of Gov. Deal’s FY2014 budget request and was included in the final version of the state spending plan passed by the General Assembly on March 28. 

Overall, the cost of the project is anticipated to be $652 million. The Record of Decision, signifying final federal approval for the project, was issued in October 2012, clearing an important hurdle toward federal construction dollars. 

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