Posted on May 22, 2026
Study and dredging work expected to take 8-10 years to complete
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) – The Georgia Ports Authority formally submitted a letter to fund a study aimed at finding ways to deepen and widen the Savannah River, again.
They want the study completed in two years while working alongside the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to find solutions.
The study, costing $8-10 million, and dredging work that would follow would take 8-10 years, according to the Georgia Ports.
It’s not known at this time how much the entire project would cost, as that is part of the study.
It’s all part of a $5 billion investment over the next 10 years as leadership eyes a 54% growth in that timeframe.
The river is now 47 feet deep. The last time the Savannah River was widened and deepened for the Georgia Ports Authority was four years ago, but that process started 11 years ago.
“We obviously have just been through this process and complying on all details about it and we’re excited about being able to help push it along,” said Georgia Ports Chairman Alec Poitevint.
Improvements are being made in Savannah and Brunswick, after the Port of Brunswick maintained its position as the busiest port for automobiles last year. It handling 779,000 auto unit, according to GPA.
They wrote in a press release that enhancements include a new, $100 million berth for Roll-on/Roll-off cargo, improvements to outdoor storage for vehicles, dredging and other harbor modifications.
“There’s no other port in the country that has a plan like that, that’s growing capacity,” said Georgia Ports President and CEO Griff Lynch after Tuesday’s board meeting. “We think the southeast is going to be the largest growing segment of the U.S. and we’re preparing for that.”
Poitevint added their customers expect them to continue to lead, to plan for it and to execute it for their needs.
Brampton Road Connector project
Another infrastructure change is the Brampton Road Connector, a four-lane highway for trucks. The Georgia Department of Transportation plans to have the $126 million project complete in August.
“Our truck drivers will leave the ports and go to either the Savannah Warehousing District or Atlanta with just one stop light,” Lynch said.
“It was also a dream that we’d hope would happen and to see it come into its final development is just wonderful,” Poitevint said.
Container volume down from record April
The port handled about 14% fewer twenty-foot-equivalent container units in April compared to last April. Last April was a record-breaking month, moving 515,500 container units.
“At that time, our customers were advancing cargoes to beat the tariff, and so we never expected to maintain that level. I think the good news is that we’re only 2.5% down for the year-to-date through 10 months, and we can manage that. That was expected,” Lynch said.
The port moved 4.7 million units from last July to this April, representing the 2.5% decrease.
