SCPA breaks ground on inland port

The South Carolina Ports Authority broke ground on Inland Port Dillon, which is slated to open in early 2018.    The South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) broke ground on the new Inland Port Dillon, which is slated to open in early 2018.
   Inland Port Dillon is designed to support the growing intermodal cargo volumes between the Carolinas, Northeast and Midwest, the port authority said.
   The SCPA has completed the initial design phase, including the permitting and equipment requisition process for the facility, and will soon award contracts to begin construction of the terminal.
   The initial phase is expected to handle at least 45,000 containers annually, offering overnight access to and from Charleston via CSX, a Jacksonville, Fla.-based Class I railway.
   SCPA first announced plans to construct an inland port in Dillon in April 2016.
   “This is a significant project for SCPA and our entire state,” SCPA Board Chairman Pat McKinney said. “Inland Port Dillon complements the port’s infrastructure investments in Charleston and will no doubt spur economic development activity both in the Pee Dee area and the surrounding region. Port-related jobs pay 40 percent higher than the state’s average wage, and it is an exciting day to bring such opportunities to Dillon County.”