The SCPA Board authorized the negotiation of a preliminary engineering contract with Patrick Engineering that is the first step in bringing this important project to realization. The firm has 13 offices across the U.S. and is partnering with South Carolina firm Davis and Floyd on the engineering work.
The SCPA's fiscal year 2013 capital plan included approximately $23.5 million in capital spending for this public-private partnership.
In 1982, the SCPA acquired a 100-acre site in Greer for the purposes of building an inland port, but it never gained significant traction and has been largely dormant over the last 25 years.
"The successful growth of intermodal container movements in our state and the region requires the development of state-of-the-art container handling facilities in the interior able to ground loaded and empty containers and leverage the efficiency and sustainability of rail transportation," said Jim Newsome, president and CEO of the SCPA. "The fact that the port will operate the facility provides an extension of our Charleston facilities into the hinterland, not dissimilar to the development of the Virginia Inland Port in Front Royal, VA some years ago."
"The I-26 corridor is a critical transportation artery in the Southeast. The development of this facility has the potential, in time, to improve the movement of freight in this corridor by converting 50,000 all-truck container moves to more efficient multimodal moves between the interior and the port. We see it as a game-changer for the port and the state of South Carolina," said Newsome. "The I-85 corridor, centered on the Greenville/Spartanburg area, is projected to be the fastest-growing part of the Southeast over the next 20 years. This facility will be a further catalyst to the development of an enhanced distribution hub in this area."
The engineering study will define the land footprint required to support the facility, the final cost, and key operational aspects and will be performed on a fast-track basis consistent with the aggressive overall timetable for the project.
Upon the receipt of necessary permits, the SCPA intends to seek Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant funds due to the multimodal characteristics of the project.
