The Georgia Ports Authority today approved $7.5 million for environmental studies for the proposed $5 billion port of Jasper.

The port, scheduled to open by 2030, will likely sit 15 miles below downtown Savannah on the South Carolina side of the river. Both states will build and operate the 1,500-acre port expected to handle ever-larger container ships. South Carolina has already chipped in its $7.5 million share for the next three years.

Taxpayers are already spending about $1 billion deepening harbors and upgrading terminals and roads at the ports of Savannah and Charleston. The construction and maintenance price tag for all three ports could top $9 billion over the next 15 years, though not all costs would be borne by taxpayers.

About the Author

Keep Reading

More metro Atlanta sellers are deciding to take their homes off the market, according to a new report. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Featured

Inventor Lonnie Johnson stands with his Super Soaker water guns at JTEC Energy on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, in Atlanta. Johnson, a former NASA engineer, is currently working on a new energy technology through his company’s JTEC device that turns thermal heat into usable energy. (Natrice Miller/AJC)