Funding approved for Savannah

The Georgia General Assembly has approved funding for the Savannah Harbour Expansion Project (SHEP) as well as significant infrastructure improvements that will enhance access to the port.

Bond funding for the SHEP will come to of $68,435,000 with $200 million of additional funds coming from the Georgia Department of Transportation for state-wide transportation enhancements.

The project, which will deepen the Savannah River’s navigational channel from its current 42-foot depth to around 48 feet, is being undertaken to keep in line with the Panama Canal’s expansion, which itself will be completed in 2014. The new locks will send ships to Savannah that are as much as three times the capacity of vessels currently able to transit the Canal.

(Source: www.portstrategy.com)