Georgia agency awards contract to raise Savannah bridge to accommodate bigger cargo ships

A Georgia state agency has chosen a general contractor to oversee a $189 million project to raise Savannah's towering suspension bridge so that larger cargo ships can pass underneath and reach one of the nation's busiest seaports. The Georgia Department of Transportation said Wednesday that construction is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2025 with Kiewit Infrastructure South Co. serving as general contractor. Officials with the Georgia Ports Authority have said for years that the Eugene Talmadge Memorial Bridge spanning the Savannah River is too low to accommodate future classes of larger ships can expected to call on the Port of Savannah. The DOT plans to raise the bridge up to 20 feet by replacing and shortening its massive support cables.