Army Corps approves permit for Savannah's third container terminal

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approved a construction permit for a $2.3 billion third container terminal at the Port of Savannah. The 3.5 million-TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) facility on Hutchinson Island will lift Savannah's annual capacity from 7.75 million to more than 12 million TEU when it opens in the mid-2030s.

The Georgia Ports Authority announced the permit at its annual State of the Port event on October 14 after a three-year federal review. Construction starts in January 2028, and the terminal anchors a broader $5 billion infrastructure program that includes a $1.6 billion upgrade of the port's Ocean Terminal.

Why it matters

Savannah anchors the U.S. Southeast's import trade. This expansion locks in capacity to overtake rivals as the East Coast's dominant container gateway.

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Key Indicators

$2.3 billion

Savannah Container Terminal cost

Approved cost for the new three-berth facility on Hutchinson Island.

3.5 million TEU

New terminal annual container capacity

Container units processed per year once the terminal is complete.

12 million TEU

Planned total port capacity

Savannah's combined annual container capacity after the terminal opens.

7.75 million TEU

Current container capacity

Port of Savannah's container throughput capacity today.

$5 billion

GPA infrastructure investment pipeline

Future port and logistics investment, which the GPA calls the largest in the nation.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

Ever wondered what historical figures would say about today's headlines?

People Involved

Griff Lynch

Chief executive officer, Georgia Ports Authority

Retiring August 1, 2027

Kevin Price

President, Georgia Ports Authority

Oversees day-to-day port operations

Alec Poitevint

Chairman, Georgia Ports Authority board

Leads the authority's governing board

Organizations Involved

Georgia Ports Authority

State port authority

Permit holder and project sponsor

State agency that operates the Port of Savannah and an inland logistics network.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Federal agency

Permitting authority

Federal agency that reviews and permits construction affecting U.S. navigable waters.

Timeline

2023 December 2028

6 events Latest: Today

Tap a bar to jump to that date

December 2028
Ocean Terminal upgrade completes
Upcoming Construction

The $1.6 billion renovation lifts Ocean Terminal capacity from 200,000 to 1.75 million TEU.
December 2028
January 2028
Construction begins on Hutchinson Island
Upcoming Construction

Work starts on the 350-acre, three-berth container terminal, pending any legal challenge.
January 2028
August 2027
GPA CEO Griff Lynch retires
Upcoming Leadership

Lynch steps down after 16 years with the authority; his successor will oversee terminal construction.
August 1st, 2027
October 2026
Permit approval reported nationally
Today Announcement

Georgia Ports Authority confirms the permit; Congress and shipping media pick up the $2.3 billion project.
Today
Army Corps approves terminal permit
Regulatory Decision

After a three-year review, the Army Corps approves construction; GPA president Kevin Price announces it at the State of the Port event.
Yesterday
2023
GPA files Army Corps permit application
Permit

Georgia Ports Authority begins the federal review for the Hutchinson Island terminal.
2023

Scenarios

Construction starts on time in January 2028

Likely Resolves by Feb 29, 2028

Discussed by: Georgia Ports Authority officials; WTOC

GPA president Kevin Price said the authority will move to the next development steps now that the permit is in hand. If groundwork on Hutchinson Island begins as scheduled in January 2028, the terminal stays on track for a mid-2030s opening. A legal challenge or funding shortfall would be the main disruptors.

Lawsuit challenges the terminal permit

Unlikely Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: No plaintiffs have emerged; scenario maps a common outcome for large Army Corps permits

Clean Water Act and Rivers and Harbors Act challenges to Army Corps permits are routine, and a large coastal project is a natural target. A suit filed in the Southern District of Georgia could delay the January 2028 start while the court reviews the environmental review. No group has signaled a challenge yet.

GPA names Lynch's successor before his August 2027 departure

Likely Resolves by Aug 1, 2027

Discussed by: Georgia Ports Authority board

CEO Griff Lynch leaves August 1, 2027, and the board must pick a replacement before then. The choice signals whether the expansion program holds course: an internal hire would suggest continuity, while an outsider could bring a new strategy. The appointment is the next visible governance decision for the authority.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

June 2016

Panama Canal Expansion (2016)

Panama opened a third set of locks costing more than $5 billion, doubling canal capacity and letting ships of roughly 14,000 TEU cross. East and Gulf Coast ports suddenly had to deepen harbors and raise bridges to compete for the larger vessels.

Then

Ports that could handle the bigger ships, Savannah among them, drew more cargo; others lost ground to rivals.

Now

The expansion rewired U.S. port competition around post-Panamax ships, setting off a decade of harbor deepening and bridge raising.

Why this matters now

Savannah's new terminal and its planned bridge raise are direct responses to the larger ships the canal now allows through.

2017

Bayonne Bridge Raise (2017)

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey raised the Bayonne Bridge roadway from 151 to 215 feet above the water. The higher clearance let post-Panamax container ships reach the region's marine terminals.

Then

New York and New Jersey kept serving larger vessels that would otherwise have skipped the port.

Now

The project became a template for East Coast ports investing in height and depth to capture bigger ships.

Why this matters now

It shows the same mechanism Savannah is betting on: infrastructure that lets a port handle the largest container ships and keep that cargo.