After six years of dredging of the Savannah River, the Savannah Harbor Deepening Project (SHEP) will be completed March 15.
The $973 million project, which deepens the 32-mile channel from 42 feet to 47 feet, is part of the Georgia Ports Authority's (GPA) overall effort to increase capacity at the Port of Savannah, which remains one of the nation's busiest container ports.
The deeper channel, which will sit 54 feet deep at high tide, will allow newer, larger cargo ships to call on the ports with fewer tidal restrictions and with heavier loads.
Credit: GEORGIA PORTS AUTHORITY
Credit: GEORGIA PORTS AUTHORITY
According to a Corps of Engineers feasibility study, lower container slot costs on the larger vessels accommodated by the deeper harbor will save U.S. producers and retailers $282 million per year in transportation expenses. The study found that every dollar spent on construction will yield $7.30 in benefits.
SHEP dates to 1996, when U.S. Army Corps of Engineers commissioned a deepening study. The project was approved three years later. Dredging began in September 2015.
Dredging of the 20-mile entrance channel, which was the first phase of the project, wrapped up in March 2018.
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
About 2,000 feet is left to go for the 2nd and final phase, said Griff Lynch, GPA executive director, at the annual State of the Ports announcement.
"We've been talking about this project for the past 20 years, we're only going to be talking about it for the next 20 days," said Lynch.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Georgia Ports Authority: Savannah Harbor Expansion Project to be completed March 15
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