SAVANNAH, Ga. – Renovations at the Port of Savannah’s Ocean Terminal have passed the halfway mark. According to a release from the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), the nearly $1.6 billion project will allow the 200-acre facility to grow its annual container capacity from 200,000 twenty-foot equivalent container units to 1.75 million TEUs.
“Growth in population and manufacturing across the Southeast means we must be ready to meet future demand,” said Georgia Ports President and CEO Griff Lynch. “Improving Ocean Terminal now will allow us to continue the efficient flow of cargo between our docks and inland markets that customers rely on.”
GPA says it has upgraded the first of two berths at Ocean Terminal. That dock space serves working ships, and as an optional staging area for Garden City Terminal. When a berth opens at Savannah’s main container port, the ship can move there right away.
Work on the second berth is expected to be finished in late June 2026, accommodating two large vessels simultaneously. Upon completion, the docks will span a total of 2,650 feet. GPA will continue to work only smaller vessels at Ocean Terminal until the first phase of the container yard renovation is complete. The first half of the renovated yard will open in mid-fall 2027, with the entire yard completed by the end of 2028.
“Until the first half of the yard is ready, the docks will also be available as lay berths,” the release stated. “From this staging area, vessels of any size can quickly move to open berths at the 1,500-acre Garden City Terminal, where cargo will be moved on and off.”
GPA added that truck access and traffic flow will also benefit from the Ocean Terminal renovations. The new gate structure is now 80 percent complete, with the first components open to traffic. By November 2026, the gate will feature 12 inbound and six outbound lanes.
Port officials said the expanded gates improve efficiency, while a $29 million Georgia Ports–funded overpass now routes departing trucks directly to U.S. 17 and Interstate 16, bypassing neighborhood streets. Incoming trucks use a U.S. 17 offramp with a signalized intersection, providing uninterrupted interstate access between Savannah and Metro Atlanta.
Truckers calling on Ocean Terminal use the new GPA Trucker app, which provides on-terminal container location data and sends push notifications when digital gate transaction tickets are issued, eliminating the need for paper documents at terminal gates.
Other projects include equipment and yard enhancements, and buildings for operation.
Amid the construction, Ocean Terminal handled approximately 84,000 TEUs in calendar year 2025. Improvements to Ocean Terminal will bring the Port of Savannah’s overall annual capacity to 9 million TEUs by 2029.
Lynch said the improvements at Ocean Terminal are part of GPA’s port master plan. He said over the next 10 years, Georgia Ports plans to invest $5 billion in capacity enhancements to support future supply chain requirements.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
