Deal to request $50M in proposed Ga. budget for harbor deepening - WTOC-TV: Savannah, Beaufort, SC, News, Weather & Sports

Deal seeks $50M in new funds for harbor deepening

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SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) -

Gov. Nathan Deal announced on Monday at a Georgia Ports Authority Board meeting that he will seek $50 million in additional funding in his FY2014 budget proposal for the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project at the Georgia Ports Authority Board meeting.

The project would deepen the Savannah River from 42 feet to 47 feet. It is estimated to cost $652 million, which could be shared by the federal government and the state of Georgia.

Deepening the harbor would bring in $174 million to the U.S. economy and for every $1 invested in the project, it would result in $6 in returns for the economy, according to a report by The Savannah District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

If approved, the proposal would increase state funding for the deepening project to $231.1 million, according to the governor's office. Construction is slated to start in 2013.

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Port of Savannah Harbor Expansion Project

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See the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers final report on the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project.