The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) is pushing forward with its Network Georgia plan to build inland rail hubs across the state. The Northeast Georgia Inland Port near Gainesville just got the green light from federal environmental regulators to start construction.
MARAD (the Maritime Administration) has promised the GPA up to $46.8 million to help set up this new inland container port along the I-85/I-985 corridor. The project timeline looks like this: earthwork sets about in July 2024, the terminal building starts in January 2025, and everything should wrap up by July 2026. Once it’s up and running, this inland rail hub should handle about 60,000 containers each year, which would cut down on truck traffic on Georgia’s highways.
The Northeast Georgia Inland Port is expected to have a big effect. The hub will cut down about 36 million truck miles in its first year. This drop comes from moving 46% of truck traffic between Northeast Georgia and Savannah to trains. This change will shrink cargo travel time from seven hours to under 30 minutes. Additionally, this transition is expected to block around 1.6 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions by the year 2054.
The establishment of the inland rail hub is not only expected to enhance logistical efficiency but also to create new job opportunities. The GPA estimates that the port will generate 20 direct jobs, with further economic growth anticipated as industries are attracted to the area due to its improved logistics capabilities. This trend has already been observed with the Appalachian Regional Port, which has seen increased activity and economic development since its inception.
The GPA has secured a site for another inland port in LaGrange alongside N. Georgia Inland Port is strategically located near the CSX rail lines and major interstates. While there is no current development schedule for this site, it holds potential for serving local industries, including the Kia Motors Manufacturing plant.
The port of Savannah’s Mason Mega Rail Terminal construction has boosted the rail capacity by a great deal. The terminal can now accommodate as many as 1000000 containers annually and enables intermodal service between Savannah and various inland markets.
All in all, these aspirations from GPA are projected to boost Georgia’s economy through the support of over 561k jobs and significant contributions to state revenue and tax income levels. Progress on the inland rail hub projects signifies a wider concern with improving transportation infrastructure to create more efficient logistics solutions capable of mitigating environmental harm.
By leveraging their expertise and resources, Lading Logistics aims to provide efficient and reliable international shipping and logistics solutions for their clients.
