Army Corps releases final environmental report for Savannah Harbor expansion

After 15 years of study, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has released final environmental documents for the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP), the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) announced earlier this week. The documents are available for review by federal and state agencies, and the general public.

Estimated to cost $652 million, the project is designed to increase the Savannah River’s depth by five feet to 47 feet so the Port of Savannah can accommodate larger ships after the Panama Canal expansion is completed in 2014. The port is served by CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway.

“We all know how critical this extra depth is to the ability of our nation to move cargo efficiently,” said GPA Executive Director Curtis Foltz in a prepared statement.

SHEP is a prime example of enabling efficient global supply chain solutions for the future, said CSXT Vice President of Intermodal Bill Clement.

“We look forward to seeing this infrastructure project come to fruition as it will increase capacity and support expansion, significantly benefitting shippers, the freight community and U.S. commerce,” he said.

The project also is critical to the economic well being of the entire Southeast, said NS VP of Business Development Robert Martínez.

“The completion of this project will contribute substantially to maintaining a vibrant and competitive port in a key region of our country,” he said.