Georgia officials pushing to study another deepening of Savannah's harbor gets a key endorsement

In this photo provided by the Georgia Ports Authority, three vessels work to load and unload cargo at the Georgia Ports Authority Ocean Terminal, June 24, 2022 in Savannah, Ga. (Georgia Port Authority via AP)

Georgia officials picked up a key congressional endorsement Monday as they sought a federal study on whether the shipping channel to the Port of Savannah should be deepened again following a harbor expansion that was completed in 2022 and cost nearly $1 billion.

U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, a Missouri Republican and chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said during a visit to the port that he supports authorizing the study as part of a sprawling infrastructure bill being drafted in his committee.

“One of those things that we want to make sure is a priority is further expansion of the port here in Savannah,” Graves told port employees and reporters as cranes unloaded a large ship at the dock. “It’s a priority of mine to get this study done.”