Stimulus to repair Intracoastal Waterway

Silted-up portions of Georgia's Intracoastal Waterway are slated to be repaired with nearly $6 million in federal stimulus funding. Parts of the Maine-to-Florida waterway are silted up, making travel difficult-to-impossible for boaters. Local business interests have made Intracoastal repair a concern of theirs for years.

Charles Waller of the Georgia Marine Business Association, says "The Intracoastal Waterway is the Interstate-95 for commercial and recreational boaters transiting the East Coast, and it provides an enormous economic benefit to this state."

The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston's office announced the project as part of $94 million in stimulus projects in the Corps' Savannah District.

Col. Ed Kertis, Savannah District Commander says, “[These projects]will provide jobs for Americans as we work together to get the nation rolling again.”

Commercial dredgers will be employed to clear the waterway's trouble spots, including Hell's Gate near Savannah and Buttermilk Sound near Darien.

U.S. Representative Jack Kingston says, "This funding was intended to create jobs and, with an investment in the Intracoastal, I’m confident it will do just that. "