Plans to deepen the shipping channel to the Port of Savannah are moving a big step forward with the release of key federal government studies Wednesday that took 16 years and $41 million to complete.

The Army Corps of Engineers planned to release its final studies on the economic and environmental impacts of the harbor expansion project. The massive reports’ arrival marks the beginning of the endgame for the $600 million project, which requires approval from four federal agencies before construction can begin.

The Georgia Ports Authority wants to deepen 38 miles of the Savannah River between the port and the Atlantic Ocean by 6 feet to accommodate supersized cargo ships. Gov. Nathan Deal has made the project a top priority, but it's met staunch resistance from neighboring South Carolina.

Tags: Army Corps of Engineers, harbor deepening, Savannah port, Savannah Harbor deepening