b'MARCH 2024GEORGIA PORTS 13(INROADScontinued fromThe ARPhasacapacityof page 8) 50,000containersperyear capturingournextgrowthandGPAs10-yeardevelop-targeta greater share of thement plan will including dou-marketinlocationssuchasbling its capacity.Dallas, Memphis and beyond.B luer idGeC onneCtori nlandP orts Theportauthoritysees GPAs inland port systemits Blue Ridge Connector as comprisestheAppalachiana key driver to enable busi-RegionalPortinCrandall,nesses to build a competitive Georgia, and the Blue Ridgesupply chain into a growing ConnectorrailyardunderNortheastGeorgiaregional constructionnearGaines- market.ville,Georgia,andsupportsGPAapprovedUS$127 themovementoflarge,million on Dec. 5 to build the heavyproductfromcen- Blue Ridge Connector, a 104-trally located communities toacreinlandrailterminalin Savannah and Brunswick. Gainesville, Georgia, linking The Appalachian RegionalNortheastGeorgiawiththe Port,orARP,providesanPort of Savannahs 37 weekly alternativeall-truckroutetovesselcalls.Scheduledto and from the Port of Savan- open in 2026, the facility will nah. Completed in 2018, at aserve the regions productionMore than 13,200 motor carriers are registered as active users of the Port of Savannah.PHOTO: Georgia Ports Authoritycost of US$26.7 million, theofheavyequipment,food, 42-acre terminal in northwestand forest products. 2 announced plans to investmaintenance and repair. Terminal averages more than GeorgiaisajointeffortofLinkingviathecon- US$29millionforanover- GPA will also build a dedi- 6,000 daily truck visits, and the state of Georgia, MurraynectorwillreducehighwaypasslinkingOceanTermi- cated exit ramp from Route 17drivers average less than 35 County,theGPAandCSXcongestion and eliminate thenaltoRoute17,whichisand a new truck-only entranceminutes for a single move to Transportation. 600-mileroundtripdrivetoexpectedtokeepterminalroadway into Ocean Terminaldrop or pick up a container. Each round-trip containerand from the port. This wouldtruckcapacityfromimpact- designed for enhanced safetyDoublemovesdropping movedviathe ARPreducesoffset emissions by as muchinglocalneighborhoods.and traffic operations for theoffacontainerandpicking energy consumption and off- as 75% while reducing trans- LedbyGPA,thejointcol- traveling public. upadifferentoneisless sets 710 truck miles on Geor- portation costs for importerslaborationamongtheportthan 54 minutes.giahighways.TheARPsand exporters. authority, the city of Savan- t ruCkers afety RepresentativesfromGPA target markets include regionsEveryefforthasbeennah and the Georgia Depart- Beyondrail,motorcar- operations teams shared infor-of Georgia, Alabama, Tennes- made to improve the supplymentofTransportationwillriers play a vital role in con- mation about gate operations, see, and Kentucky. chainexperience,enableenabletruckstodirectlynectingoceancarriersandtroubleticketprocesses,and Theinlandrailtermi- futuregrowthwhilebeingaccess Route 17 as opposedU.S.producersandcon- procedures for the empty con-nal provides a powerful newsensitive to surrounding com- to using Louisville Road andsumers.GPAestablishedatainer yard. After hearing from gatewaytoglobalmarkets.munities, said Stacy Watson,local streets to enter the high- truckersafetycommitteetoGeorgia Ports, the group dis-TheARPsetaFebruaryGPAsdirectorofeconomicway. TheGPAwillconstructaddressdriverconcernsandcussed concerns about issues recordof3,285containers,and industrial development. theoverpassandroadwayhelp new and existing driversthey have been facing.up23%,dueinparttoanentrance to U.S. 17, to be com- understand safe operations onGPA values its partners in increaseintheimportofo Ceant erminalo verPass pletedby2026.TheGDOTthe terminal. (INROADScontinued on manufacturingcomponents.The port authority on Feb.willthenberesponsibleforSavannahs Garden Citypage 20)'