Port of Savannah labeled fastest-growing port on the East Coast
By AJ Sisson
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SAVANNAH, Georgia (WJCL) — The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) revealed significant growth figures for 2024 during the State of the Ports luncheon on Tuesday, highlighting the Port of Savannah as the fastest-growing port on the East Coast. The Authority plans to invest over $4 billion in the next decade to enhance port operations and infrastructure.
The Port of Savannah is not only expanding rapidly but also planning substantial improvements. These include raising the Talmadge Bridge to accommodate larger ships and adding ‘passing lanes’ for vessels in the Savannah River to improve efficiency.
“Despite the fact that customers were diverting cargo away from the East Coast and Gulf ports, we found a way to grow by 12.5%. Anytime we’re going by double digits, that’s phenomenal,” said Griff Lynch, the president and CEO of the Georgia Ports Authority, who expressed enthusiasm about the growth.
In 2024, the port’s container volume increased by approximately 700,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), marking a 12.5% rise from 2023. This growth has positioned the Port of Savannah as the fastest-growing port on the East Coast.
“Everybody knows that the Georgia Ports Authority and the Port of Savannah is a major gateway to the United States of America,” said Lynch.
The Authority also announced plans for new “lay berths,” which are staging areas for ships closer to the Garden City Terminal. This development is expected to reduce ship turnaround time from 12 hours to just three hours. Additionally, five new ship “passing lanes” will be added.
Lynch explained, “Instead of having one-way traffic on the river for these larger vessels, in the future, for the permanent solution, they wouldn’t be pulling off, they would be passing lanes, just like driving on a road.”
GPA aims to increase Port of Savannah capacity by nearly 80%, by improving the already existing Ocean Terminal and adding a 1.5 million TEUs by 2030. Furthermore, the port will add a 3.5 million TEU Savannah Container Terminal on Hutchinson Island.
By 2035, GPA expects Savannah will be a 12.6 million container-unit.
The Georgia Ports, which contribute over $170 billion in revenue to the state, also plan to raise the Talmadge Bridge by 20 feet. If everything goes according to plan with the Georgia Department of Transportation, construction could begin in 2026.
“What we’re talking about is creating jobs for future generations to live, to play, to grow, and work here together as a family,” said Lynch.
The growth witnessed between 2023 and 2024 at the Port of Savannah surpassed that of New York, New Jersey, Houston and Jacksonville, furthering its position as a leading port on the East Coast.
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