Governor Nathan Deal said Monday he will be proposing more state money to help pay for the deepening of the Savannah port.

Deal told the Georgia Ports Authority he plans to include an additional $50 million in his budget proposal for the fiscal year that begins in July. Lawmakers would still have to sign off on the extra money.

“I am committed to allocating funds and time to this pivotal link in our logistics network,” Deal said in a news release. “Expanding the Savannah Harbor is vital to our renewed economic growth and plays an integral role in helping make our state the No. 1 place in the nation in which to do business.”

The new money would increase the state’s funding for the deepening project to $231 million. Overall, the project is expected to cost $650 million.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued its approval for the project in October.

It remains unclear how much Congress is willing to allocate to the project.

Tags: Nathan Deal, state budget, Georgia Ports Authority, harbor deepening, Savannah port, Savannah Harbor deepening, 2014 state budget