Port Expansion Close To Home

Let's Work Together

The debate over the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP) continues to make headlines as politicians in Georgia and South Carolina fight over federal funding for this proposed project. The problem with their arguments is that this debate should not be about Savannah versus Charleston. Both ports need their harbors deepened. Savannah had the foresight to begin their request for funding years before Charleston and as a result should be deepened first, but this is not to say that Charleston’s needs are less important. Nearly half of the U.S.’s population resides in the Southeast region, and retailers, manufacturers, and distributers need easy access to these consumers. We must ensure that we provide many means of access so that this area of the country continues to prosper. So let’s not get blinded by state politics and recognize that we all benefit from the infrastructure that these port deepening projects represent.