Port gets federal OK for its Hutchinson Island terminal
Daffin Park's playground waits on repairs, a near-record warm day, and free Philharmonic shows.
A 350-acre stretch of Hutchinson Island near the Talmadge Bridge now has federal clearance to become a container terminal. Shovels are not due there until January 2028.
The Army Corps of Engineers has signed off on a permit for the Savannah Container Terminal, a 350-acre cargo yard planned for Hutchinson Island. The approval followed a three-year review. Georgia Ports Authority officials announced it Wednesday at their annual State of the Port event.
The total cost of the expansion is $2.3 billion, but it is still years from moving any boxes. Crews are expected to break ground in January 2028, and opening is scheduled for the mid-2030s. Once running, the terminal would add room for 3.5 million TEUs a year. That would lift the port's total capacity from 7.75 million to 12 million TEUs.
For people who live here, the bigger question is trucks. Port officials say the site, close to the Talmadge Bridge, will let drivers get to major highways without cutting through downtown or nearby neighborhoods. That is a promise about routes, and it can only be tested once the gates open. The port also says the expansion could mean more cargo, more businesses and more jobs. Those gains are framed as possibilities, and the opening date sits about a decade away.
Near-record heat today, then a sharp cool-down this weekend
A heat record is possible in Savannah today. Highs should reach the upper 80s across most of the area, with mid 80s on the islands. The average for the date is 79 degrees, and the record of 90 has stood since 1925.
Relief arrives behind a dry cold front Friday night. Saturday looks mostly cloudy, with a slight chance of showers. Sunday brings more sun and dry air. Weekend highs should sit near 70, with breezy north winds. By Sunday morning, lows drop to the upper 40s to lower 50s, a swing of more than 30 degrees from today's peak.
Daffin Park's new playground waits on drainage fixes
The new Daffin Park Signature Playground is built but not open. After construction wrapped, water began pooling on the site because the drainage was underperforming. The city chose to hold off on a public opening until repairs are done.
The repair calendar is tight. Drainage work and site restoration should finish by Oct. 19, if weather and drainage cooperate. Termite treatment comes next, expected by Oct. 21. A final field inspection is expected by Oct. 22. Crews also need to finish the fence, and the on-site restrooms need cleaning and stocking.
Community Services chief Ashley Reynolds Marshall said an opening date will come in November, once the site clears its final inspection. Before calling the playground ready, the city also wants staffing, maintenance and signage in place. So the earliest word on an opening comes in November, not this month.
Free Savannah Philharmonic concerts in three neighborhoods, Oct. 16-18
- When
- Oct. 16-18 · 6:30 p.m. Friday; 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
- Where
- Calvary Day School, Eastern Wharf and Lake Mayer
- Price
- Free
The Savannah Philharmonic is taking its music to three corners of town, and all three shows are free and open to the public. Phil the Neighborhoods opens at Calvary Day School on Friday, Oct. 16, at 6:30 p.m. It moves to Eastern Wharf on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 3 p.m., then wraps at Lake Mayer on Sunday, Oct. 18, at 3 p.m.
The programs are pitched as family-friendly, with selections drawn from a mix of musical genres. United Community Bank is presenting the series. Organizers are urging people to bring friends, relatives and neighbors along. Sunday's Lake Mayer show lands on the drier, sunnier day of the weekend.