by Manal Barakat, SeaNewsEditor

In a recent press release, Georgia Ports announced launching a new fast-track routing process for container vessels entering the Port of Savannah.

This initiative aims to optimise the transit of ships along the Savannah River to the Garden City Terminal.

The new option, called "lay berth," allows vessels to temporarily dock at Ocean Terminal, which is in close proximity to Garden City Terminal. This step occurs before the ship moves to a berth at Garden City as soon as a berth is available.

This pre-staging system allows quicker discharge and loading operations for the ship.

The port reports that a vessel from a Gemini Service was the first to utilise this option, beginning operations at 19:00 local time on Thursday, 11 September 2025. Without the lay berth, the vessel would have had to wait until 07:00 the following day to start work.

Griff Lynch, President and CEO of Georgia Ports, stated, "This lay berth, combined with our eight start times for ship labour, creates exciting new possibilities for ships to stay on schedule or make up time".

The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) states that the lay berth option enables the handling of two extra ships each week and cuts berth idle time from 12 to 15 hours to as little as three hours.