Georgia Gov. Brian P. Kemp wants a federal study of the Port of Savannah, the third busiest port in the United States, to determine necessary harbor updates.
The state’s Congressional delegation is advocating for the authorization of a Savannah Harbor Improvement Project study to be included in the 2024 Water Resources Development Act. The study would discover the optimal depth and width for the harbor for a potential future improvement program.
“The Port of Savannah isn’t just one of Georgia’s greatest economic engines, it’s also an asset for the entire Southeast region and beyond,” Kemp said. “Savannah Harbor improvements would benefit the entire nation, with job creators able to access the global market through one of the busiest ports in the nation as ocean carriers’ vessel capacity continues to grow.”
In March 2022, the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project deepened the river from 42 to 47 feet at low tide. Planning for the project began 27 years ago. In the 1990s, vessel capacity was less and the shipping channel was designed to accommodate vessels with a capacity of 8,100 twenty-foot equivalent container units. Current capacity is more than 16,000 units and loading ships to full capacity is impossible at a low tide depth of 47 feet.