SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) - U.S. senators Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss met with a federal commerce official for a briefing on the project to deepen the shipping channel to the Port of Savannah and to tour the port.

The Republican senators met with acting U.S. Deputy Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank.

Blank's visit comes after recent announcements of $5.8 million in federal funding for the construction phase of the harbor
deepening, which is planned to begin in fiscal year 2013.

The additional money comes from a fund created by Congress and from $2.8 million in the president's fiscal year 2013 budget proposal.

As the fourth busiest container port in the country, the Port of Savannah serves approximately 21,000 companies in all 50 states, over 75 percent of which are headquartered outside of Georgia.


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