Study Will Explore Savannah River Channel Improvements, Passing Lanes and Long-Term Port Capacity
SAVANNAH, Ga. (June 3, 2026) — The Georgia Ports Authority has issued a letter of intent to Adam Telle, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, outlining plans to begin a new Savannah Harbor modification study that could help prepare the Port of Savannah for the next generation of larger, more efficient vessels.
The study will evaluate potential improvements to the Savannah River shipping channel, including additional deepening and widening in select areas to allow for more efficient two-way vessel traffic. The effort is designed to strengthen the Port of Savannah’s long-term competitiveness, reduce delays and support continued cargo growth across the Southeast.
“The shipping channel needs to be deepened and widened to better accommodate the largest ships currently serving Savannah, and to prepare for even larger, more efficient vessels expected to serve the U.S. East Coast,” said Georgia Ports President and CEO Griff Lynch. “Channel improvements are the next step in preparing Savannah for the future. Along with five new container berths on the way, the new Gainesville Inland Port, and multiple Georgia DOT projects, the pieces are all coming together in Savannah as the gateway of choice for the Southeast.”
Savannah Harbor Study to Explore Channel Deepening and Passing Lanes
The Georgia Ports Authority will work closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete the study under the authority of Section 203 of the Water Resources Development Act. The Savannah Harbor modification study was authorized under WRDA 2024, with initial funding of $500,000 awarded in Congress’ fiscal 2026 budget.
The study will consider several potential harbor improvements, including:
- Deepening the Savannah River shipping channel
- Widening select portions of the channel
- Adding passing lanes for two-way ship traffic
- Improving vessel service and reducing tidal delays
- Preparing Savannah Harbor for larger and cleaner container vessels
- Evaluating environmental and economic impacts
- Supporting long-term port capacity and supply chain efficiency
“By initiating this study, we are taking a proactive step to ensure the Port of Savannah remains a competitive asset,” said GPA Board Chairman Alec Poitevint. “We appreciate the leadership of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, our federal delegation and state partners for their support. Together, we are positioning Georgia’s gateway to deliver greater efficiency, capacity and long-term economic value for our customers and the nation.”
Larger Vessels Driving Need for Savannah Harbor Improvements
A deeper harbor would allow large ships to load more cargo and avoid tidal delays, improving vessel efficiency and reliability. Passing lanes would allow arriving and departing ships to move through the channel at the same time, helping accelerate vessel service and improve overall port operations.
The Port of Savannah currently serves vessels capable of carrying more than 16,000 twenty-foot equivalent container units, or TEUs. That is twice the size of the vessels the channel was originally designed to accommodate.
As global shipping lines deploy larger and more fuel-efficient vessels, ports across the U.S. East Coast are evaluating infrastructure needs to remain competitive. For Savannah, the proposed study is a key step in determining how the harbor can support future vessel classes while preserving environmental quality and maximizing national economic benefits.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to Provide Technical Oversight
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will provide technical assistance throughout the Savannah Harbor modification study and will retain final review and approval authority. That oversight will include environmental analysis, economic analysis and review of proposed harbor improvements.
The Corps’ feasibility study for the previous Savannah Harbor Expansion Project found $7.70 in national economic benefit for every dollar spent on construction.
The new feasibility study will assess market demand for the Port of Savannah and establish a vessel class that could guide the design of any proposed harbor deepening. The process will include:
- Projecting the vessel sizes most likely to serve Savannah in the future
- Designing potential harbor modifications around that vessel class
- Reviewing possible impacts to the Savannah River estuary
- Evaluating national economic benefits
- Determining whether improvements should be recommended to Congress
Once the study is completed, the Corps will recommend whether Congress should authorize additional Savannah Harbor expansion. Any future project would require further congressional authorization, as well as federal and non-federal funding for construction.
Savannah Harbor Builds on Decades of Expansion
The Savannah River shipping channel has been expanded three times for navigation purposes: in 1945, 1994 and 2022.
Previous Savannah Harbor improvements include:
- 1945: Channel dredged to 38 feet
- 1994: Channel deepened to 42 feet
- 2022: Savannah Harbor Expansion Project deepened the channel to 47 feet
The most recent Savannah Harbor Expansion Project, known as SHEP, was completed in 2022 after federal impact studies and seven years of construction. However, the project’s original design was completed more than 20 years earlier and anticipated 8,200-TEU vessels as the primary workhorses on the U.S. East Coast.
Today, the Port of Savannah regularly serves much larger vessels, making the new study an important step in planning for future cargo demand and maritime efficiency.
Georgia Ports Preparing for Future Growth
The Savannah Harbor modification study comes as Georgia Ports continues to invest in major infrastructure projects to support future growth. These efforts include five new container berths in Savannah, the new Gainesville Inland Port and multiple Georgia Department of Transportation projects designed to improve connectivity and cargo movement.
Together, these investments are positioning Savannah as a leading gateway for the Southeast and a critical supply chain asset for manufacturers, retailers, logistics providers and exporters.
Georgia Ports Expansion Highlights
- Organization: Georgia Ports Authority
- Project: Savannah Harbor modification study
- Location: Savannah Harbor and Savannah River shipping channel
- Study Focus: Deepening, widening and passing lanes
- Federal Partner: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- Authorization: WRDA 2024
- Initial Funding: $500,000 in Congress’ fiscal 2026 budget
- Current Channel Depth: 47 feet
- Current Vessel Capacity Served: 16,000+ TEU ships
- Recent Harbor Expansion Completion: 2022
- Goal: Improve vessel efficiency, capacity and long-term port competitiveness
About Georgia Ports
Georgia’s ports in Savannah and Brunswick are strategic gateways that help create some of the most competitive supply chains in the nation through strong operations, connectivity and a robust supply chain ecosystem. These assets, combined with Georgia’s ranking as the top state to do business for 12 consecutive years, support a strong business model for continued growth.
The Port of Savannah is one of the best-connected ports in the United States to world markets, with 40 ship calls per week, 42 doublestack trains per week and 14,000 truck gate moves daily. The Port of Brunswick is the No. 1 ranked U.S. Roll-on/Roll-off port by annual volumes for autos and continues to handle increasing machinery cargo through expanded high and heavy cargo operating space.
The Georgia Ports Authority has a self-financed investment plan of nearly $5 billion over the next 10 years, including five new big ship container berths in Savannah and a fourth RoRo berth in Brunswick to meet future growth. In the past decade, GPA has invested $3.2 billion in infrastructure improvements.
As part of GPA’s community engagement efforts, $6 million is being donated to port communities to support a multi-year local workforce housing initiative, helping 178 families repair, buy or build a home in the Savannah area since its start in September 2023.
For more information, visit www.gaports.com or contact Edward Fulford, Manager of Media Relations, at efulford@gaports.com or 912-964-3806.
