After 20-plus years, Savannah Harbor Expansion Project is complete, more growth planned

After more than 20 years of study, debate, planning and digging, the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project is complete. The project officially concluded March 8, a whole week ahead of the predicted March 15 date.

The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and other dignitaries commemorated the completion of the harbor deepening that will expand access to the Port of Savannah during a Friday morning ceremony along the edge of the Savannah River.

"A deeper channel means more than just efficient passage for the largest vessels calling on the U.S. East Coast. It means continued opportunity, job growth and prosperity for the people of our state," said Griff Lynch, executive director of the GPA.

Feasibility studies for the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP) began in 1997 and the dredging process officially started in September of 2015. A total of 40 miles, which encompasses the outer and inner channel of the river, was deepened an additional five feet to 47 feet.

The deeper water will enable vessels carrying 16,000-plus container units to call on the ports at low tide.

"That's important to our exporters, because it means Georgia-grown and manufactured goods reach international markets faster," said Joel Wooten, GPA board chairman. "The harbor deepening directly complements our overall mission to support growth through global commerce."

Common remarks throughout the morning touched on job creation and the economic benefits the expansion would bring to the state. Kemp noted that Georgia set a record for exports of over $42 billion in 2021 in the midst of a pandemic and global supply chain issues.

"The ports are a major reason why our FY2022 numbers for total jobs created and dollars invested are on track to outpace all of last year's numbers which, by the way, was a record year," said Kemp. "Businesses know that when they operate in Georgia, their goods will reach markets around the world even during unprecedented challenges."

According to a Corps of Engineers study, the project is expected to net more than $291 million in annual benefits to the nation, or approximately $7.70 for every dollar invested into the project.

The GPA has touted milestone after milestone in its growth efforts, which has accelerated considerably in the past two decades. The completion of SHEP is just the latest mark in their overall expansion.

During the annual State of the Ports luncheon in February, the GPA's Lynch broadly outlined expansion efforts for the next three decades. Last year, the Port of Savannah handled a record 5.6 million containers. It's goal for 2050 is 20-plus million.

Projects such as a new container port on Hutchinson Island and the Jasper Ocean Terminal in South Carolina are in the works.

The Port of Savannah is currently the third busiest port in the U.S., rivaled only by the port of New York-New Jersey and the Los Angeles/Long Beach ports.

In the meantime, the GPA is still looking at options in raising the Talmadge Bridge, which cuts across the Savannah River before the Garden City Terminal.