If a budget bill passed by the U.S. House Thursday night becomes law, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will have to finalize its agreement with the state of Georgia to start construction on the $706 million deepening of the Savannah Harbor by Oct. 1 or begin making weekly progress reports to Congress.
The bill contains the original $1.52 million in federal funding requested for the project by the Obama administration in March, but the new clause — added by U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Savannah — puts pressure on the corps to finish the project partnership agreement that will allow the dredging to proceed with state funds.
Georgia already has set aside $266 million for the project, which will deepen the Savannah River channel from 42 feet to 47 feet at mean low tide to accommodate the larger container ships expected to arrive on the East Coast when the Panama Canal’s expanded locks open in 2016.
The project agreement, which will outline how and when state and federal funds can be spent, is the last piece of red tape that must be negotiated before contracts are let and dredges can begin digging.
However, the House bill may not become law as the White House has threatened to veto the overall budget measure and election-year maneuvers have stalled budget votes in the Senate.
The Savannah Harbor Expansion Project, originally approved by Congress in 1999, has been slowed by extensive studies and plagued by bureaucratic delays and lawsuits.
The Georgia Port Authority remains hopeful dredging will begin this year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
