Next Wednesday, after nearly 20 years of study and delay, the deepening of the Savannah River and harbor can officially begin.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced Tuesday that the federal government and the state of Georgia will sign a so-called Project Partnership Agreement on October 8 that details the cost-sharing and engineering responsibilities for the $706 million project.
Georgia has long sought deeper water along the river leading to the Garden City terminal above Savannah, the nation’s fourth busiest port. Deepening from 42 to 47 feet will allow ever-larger container ships to run the river and drop off imports and pick up exports that fuel Georgia’s economy.
The state has already ponied up $266 million for the deepening project scheduled to take five years. Congress is on the hook for the rest and Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Gov. Nathan Deal, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed — all likely to attend next week’s signing ceremony — expect Washington to pay its share.
“It’s 16 years of hard work coming to a successful conclusion,” Isakson told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Tuesday. “It’s a day of pride for our state and it will continue our leadership as the business capital and economic capital of the Southeast.”
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