Congress raises Savannah harbor price tag to $706M

In this photo provided by the Georgia Ports Authority, Natalie Dawn, Georgia Ports Authority Environmental Sustainability Manager, speaks during the unveiling of nearly 14 acres of recently created wetlands around the Garden City Terminal Tuesday, April 22, in Garden City. The $3.7 million project treats 100 million gallons of water annually and took 2.5 years to complete. - photo by Associated Press

Savannah Port Wetland Werm 1 — In this photo provided by the Georgia Ports Authority, Natalie Dawn, Georgia Ports Authority Environmental Sustainability Manager, speaks during the unveiling of nearly 14 acres of recently created wetlands around the Garden City Terminal Tuesday, April 22, in Garden City. The $3.7 million project treats 100 million gallons of water annually and took 2.5 years to complete. - photo by Associated Press

SAVANNAH — Congress gave final approval Thursday to a new spending limit for deepening the Savannah harbor that raises the project's price tag to $706 million, an increase of 8 percent from just two years ago. The new authorized cost for expanding the busy shipping channel to the Port of Savannah was contained in a sweeping water-projects bill that passed the Senate. Once signed into law by the president, the measure is expected to clear the last bureaucratic roadblock on the project.

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