The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced the completion of the project, which port officials noted was 20 years in the making and will be a critical contributor to their growth plans.

The USACE lead the project, which cost $973 million and lasted six and a half years.

The USACE partnered with the Georgia Department of Transportation and the Georgia Ports Authority and multiple contractors and agencies.

The project was deepening a 40-mile stretch of the Savannah River between the port and the Atlantic Ocean.

Last month officials from the Georgia Ports Authority unveiled plans to expand the port's container capacity 60 per cent.

For 2021, they reported a 20 per cent growth in TEU with a record 5.6 million TEU.

The dredging is part of an enhancement plan that will bring the Port of Savannah's annual capacity from six million TEU to nine and a half million TEU by 2025.

"Higher demand for our services is the reason we have expedited major expansions at the Port of Savannah," said GPA board chairman Joel Wooten.

"Georgia's growing manufacturing, distribution, and retail sectors will mean additional cargo through the Port of Savannah, driving the need for increased container handling capacity."