Amid ongoing efforts to deepen the Savannah River and expand capacity, the Port of Savannah handled a record 4 million 20-foot-equivalent (TEU) containers in 2017, an 11 percent year-over increase.
The Port of Savannah is expected to continue to drive future cargo gains for the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) with expansion efforts underway there. A budget proposal could bring total funding for Savannah River deepening to $301 million through 2021, the GPA board has approved $3.5 million for modernization of ship-to-shore cranes, and groundbreaking on a rail terminal is expected this spring.
“Savannah is double the size of the next largest port in the region, highlighting Georgia’s growing role as a gateway for American cargo,” GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch said. “Similarly, there is no deepening project more significant in the nation at this time than the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project.”
The port’s handling of more than 4 million TEUs for the first time in a 12-month period marks an “important milestone for Savannah,” Lynch added, indicating that Georgia is the “fastest growing and most critical port in the Southeast.”
With an additional $35 million allocated to river deepening in the fiscal year 2018 budget proposal released last week by Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, total project funding could top $300 million.
“We’d like to thank the governor and General Assembly for their full and complete support of the state share of the project, and we look forward to seeing the federal match with the upcoming release of the president’s budget and the appropriations process,” GPA Board Chairman Jimmy Allgood said. “Our federal delegation to Washington also deserves our appreciation for their tireless work in support of Savannah’s harbor expansion.”
In December, intermodal business at the Garden City Terminal increased 18.8 percent to nearly 65,000 TEUs. And the Mason Mega Rail terminal, which is slated for completion in 2020, is expected to drive continued gains in intermodal business there in the years ahead.
“What sets Savannah apart is its ability to grow capacity, increase cargo and do it in an efficient manner without congestion,” Allgood said. “Our team at Georgia Ports, along with our logistics partners in Savannah and Brunswick, have truly pulled together to achieve great things. We will continue to do so as the GPA improves its infrastructure to take on new business.”