Significant progress has been made in the proposed deepening of the Savannah River. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control has allowed the project to move forward although new environmental protection demands by the agency have added $60 million to the already $650 million projected cost. The river will be deepened from 42 feet to 48 feet to allow for the bigger container ships to enter the harbor after the Panama Canal expansion project is completed in 2014. Accommodating these larger ships in the Savannah Harbor would have a significant impact on economic development in the metro Atlanta region.
To read the AJC article about the South Carolina DHEC approval, click here.