US President fast tracks project to deepen Port of Savannah's harbour

THE Savannah Harbour Expansion Project (SHEP) has taken a major step forward after the administration of US President Barrack Obama announced that it would expedite the project to deepen the harbour from its existing depth of 42 feet to 47 feet.

Furthermore, the White House has promised that all federal reviews would be completed and a Record of Decision would come by November at the latest.

The announcement follows the completion of a feasibility report by the US Army Corps of Engineers that examined the benefits and costs of deepening the existing shipping channel.

The Port of Savannah has been named as one of five major US ports that are to be expanded and modernised as part of the President's "We Can't Wait Initiative", announced in mid-July. The initiative contains in total seven "nationally and regionally significant infrastructure projects" that are to be fast-tracked in order to save time and drive better outcomes for local communities.

The decision to expedite the deepening of the harbour is directly related to the issuance of a Presidential Executive Order in March that charges the Office of Management and Budget with overseeing a government-wide effort to make the permitting and review process for infrastructure projects more efficient and effective.

"President Obama is committed to improving federal permitting and reviews to ensure that smart infrastructure projects like the Port of Savannah can move as quickly as possible through the decision making process, boosting job growth and strengthening the economy," said Jeffrey Zients, acting director of the Office of Management and Budget.

"By working more efficiently in a coordinated fashion across the federal government and putting in place aggressive schedules and accountability systems, we are committing to accelerate the final steps of this review for the Port of Savannah project."

The first seven of the initial 43 projects that will be expedited by the Executive Order are located at five ports, namely the Port of Savannah, the Port of Jacksonville, the Port of Miami, the Port of New York and New Jersey and the Port of Charleston. The White House said that additional expedited infrastructure projects will be announced in the coming weeks.

Georgia Ports Authority executive director Curtis Foltz welcomed the news as it places a timeline on a plan that has been in the pipeline for more than a dozen years. "To have the President of the United States acknowledge the importance of the Port of Savannah - its infrastructure improvement needs and the role it plays in the economic recovery of the Southeast - is significant."