CONTAINER & CARGO HANDLING

New US inland port to serve the South

11 years ago

A new inland port is being built by Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) that will serve as a direct link from the Port of Savannah to North Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and parts of Kentucky.

Appalachian Regional Port will deliver goods more efficiently to the GPA's Garden City Terminal. Photo: Georgia Ports Authority/Stephen B. Morton

Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), Murray County and CSX Transportation signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish the Appalachian Regional Port, which will deliver goods more efficiently to the GPA’s Garden City Terminal, the second busiest container port on the East Coast behind New York-New Jersey.

“This new inland terminal will open the door for economic opportunity and job creation for Northwest Georgia and the region,” said Georgia Governor Nathan Deal. “By providing a direct link to the Port of Savannah, the Appalachian Regional Port will create and expand international markets for businesses, and further the economic success of the Southeastern US.”

Operated by GPA, the new inland port will sit on 42 acres in Northwest Georgia’s Murray County and feature on-terminal rail. Port officials estimate the CSX rail route will reduce Atlanta truck traffic by 40,000 moves annually, creating a new intermodal option to and from the deepwater Port of Savannah. Each container moved by rail to the Appalachian Regional Port is expected to offset 355 truck miles on Georgia highways and in turn, reduce carbon emissions.

The facility, which will handle import, export and domestic cargo, will open with an annual capacity of 50,000 containers. A 10-year development plan will then double that capacity.

This new port will be Georgia’s second facility of this kind. In 2013, Governor Deal, Cordele Intermodal Services and the GPA signed a memorandum of understanding for the Cordele Inland Port which handles cotton, clay, lumber and other agribusiness exports for customers in Georgia, Alabama and Florida.

“As part of our ‘Network Georgia’ initiative, we intend to collaborate with communities and transportation partners for the development of future sites,” added James Walters, chairman, GPA Board. “Our goal is to create the largest inland intermodal complex in the eastern third of the US, expanding our reach with more economical shipping alternatives for new and existing customers.”

The port is set to open by 2018.