Georgia to develop 2nd inland port for ocean trade

The Georgia Ports Authority will operate the facility in the northwest portion of the state, which is expected to attract shippers from surrounding states as well.    Georgia officials on Tuesday announced the planned development of an intermodal rail transfer facility in the northwestern portion of the state, providing direct access to the Port of Savannah for shippers in a region that includes Alabama, Tennessee and parts of Kentucky.
   The 42-acre inland port will be operated by the Georgia Ports Authority and is adjacent to U.S. route 411, with easy access to I-75. It is scheduled to open for business in 2018 with an annual capacity of 50,000 containers, and will also handle domestic cargo. Rail service will be provided by Class I railroad CSX Transportation.
   Port officials estimate the CSX rail route will reduce Atlanta truck traffic by 40,000 moves per year by putting import and export loads on intermodal rail cars far from Savannah, the nation’s fourth largest container port.
   “This new inland terminal will open the door for economic opportunity and job creation for Northwest Georgia and the region,” Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal said at the ceremonial signing of a memorandum of understanding in Chatsworth, Ga. “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 U.S.”
   A 10-year development plan will double capacity in Chatsworth, officials said.
   The inland port is the latest example of how the state of Georgia and the port authority are investing in infrastructure to keep ahead of the demand curve for freight services, while many other ports are playing catch up.
   On Monday, the Georgia Ports Authority reported container volumes at the Port of Savannah jumped 16.5 percent in fiscal year 2015 to 3.66 million TEUs, topping last year’s record of 3.14 million TEUs. More than 1.9 million standard shipping units moved through Savannah in the first half of the year, putting it on pace to beat last year’s calendar-year record of 3.35 million TEUs handled. Shippers that shifted some cargo from the West Coast to avoid congestion over the winter caused by labor strife at ports there continue to route some of their Asia cargo through Savannah and other East Coast ports because they like the reliable service they are getting, industry officials say.
   “This new inland port is located in an industrial belt, which includes the production and export of carpet and flooring, automobiles and tires,” GPA Executive Director Curtis Foltz said in a statement. “The Appalachian Regional Port will make those commodities more competitive in the global market by saving port customers money on inland transit costs. Moving more containers to rail will also reduce carbon emissions.”
   The Appalachian Regional Port will be Georgia’s second facility of this kind. A new inland port in Cordele, Ga., handles cotton, clay, lumber and other agribusiness exports for shippers 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,” GPA Board Chairman James Walters said. “Our goal is to create the largest inland intermodal complex in the eastern third of the U.S., expanding our reach with more economical shipping alternatives for new and existing customers.”
   A new inland terminal operated by the South Carolina Ports Authority in Greer, more than 200 miles west of the Port of Charleston, has proven successful, with volumes exceeding original estimates.