A heavy lift cargo ship delivered four Super Post-Panamax ship-to-shore cranes to the Port of Savannah’s Garden City Terminal.

SAVANNAH, Ga. — While cargo volume at ports elsewhere is down, officials at the Georgia Ports Authority and the Port of Savannah say now is the time to ramp up their $2 billion expansion plan.

As the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association continue to negotiate, the head of one of the nation’s busiest ports said he thinks a labor agreement may not be reached until February.

The Port of Savannah plans a $410 million overhaul of one of its sprawling terminals to make room for loading and unloading larger ships while focusing its business almost exclusively on cargo shipped in containers.

Already the second-busiest port on the Atlantic coast, Georgia’s Port of Savannah has big expansion plans.

SAVANNAH, Ga. — The Port of Savannah has added another month to its streak of record cargo volumes amid a surge that has forced U.S. seaports to scramble to meet demand.

The U.S. Department of Transportation will allow the Georgia Port Authority to build storage for shipping containers at sites near the Port of Savannah using $8 million in unspent federal grants, part of a new plan to relieve supply chain bottlenecks at U.S. ports.

The board of the Georgia Ports Authority voted March 29 to spend $205 million to expand the Savannah facility, adding to $100 million authorized several months ago.

The Port of Savannah, the second busiest on the East Coast, is closing operations on Saturdays to truck drivers, effective immediately, as business slows due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Georgia Ports Authority introduced dual rail service from the Port of Savannah to Chicago, with cargo reaching the Midwestern city in less than three days.