GPA expands inland ports, increasing access to global markets.
The Georgia Port Authority (GPA) is celebrating its 80th year of operation and continues to invest in the future of global trade being facilitated by the ports of Savannah and Brunswick and a growing network of inland ports.
Griff Lynch, Georgia Ports President and CEO, said, “Since its establishment in 1945, GPA has become a cornerstone of Georgia’s economy, growing into one of the largest and most efficient port authorities in the United States.”
Inland Ports Support Global Trade and Local Economies
The GPAs’ support of intermodal operations and converting truck miles to rail is demonstrated by its inland port model. This model means that containers can be trucked for shorter distances and staged at the intermodal yard, where they are loaded onto trains moving hundreds of containers in a single trip.
There are three primary inland ports in Georgia. The Appalachian Regional Port (ARP) is a joint effort of the state of Georgia, Murray County, the GPA, and CSX Transportation. This inland terminal opened in 2018 and now provides a new gateway to global markets.
Owned and operated by the GPA, the Bainbridge inland port is located on the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint Waterway or Tri-Rivers system. The facility is equipped to handle a variety of bulk cargo via barge traffic, including gypsum, cottonseed, and cypress bark mulch.
Plans are underway for the third inland port, the Blue Ridge Connector (BRC), which will provide a direct link to the Port of Savannah via Norfolk Southern. Located near Gainesville, Georgia, the 104-acre facility is 62 percent complete. Construction should be finished by spring 2026. Located along the manufacturing and logistics corridor of Interstate 85 in Hall County, it will provide Class I rail service and proximity to the National Freight Network.
Moving cargo to the region by rail eliminates a 600-mile round trip by truck to and from the Port of Savannah. With an anticipated opening volume of 26,000 containers per year, it will help avoid 15.6 million roundtrip truck miles in its first year of operation. That equates to a reduction in logistics-related emissions by 22,510 metric tons of CO2.
“At full capacity of 200,000 containers, 120 million truck miles, and 173,157 metric tons of CO2 would be avoided each year,” said a GPA spokesman.
The Blue Ridge Connector is intended to serve as an economic catalyst, attracting new business to Northeast Georgia. The inland terminal will support the 9,600 full-time and part-time Hall County jobs currently engaged by port activity and more than 63,000 jobs in the nine-county area. Target markets include industrial equipment, food, forest products, and retail warehousing.
“We will offer refrigerated cargo by rail, with this unique transit from the Blue Ridge Connector to Savannah,” a GPA spokesman said. “There are five cold storage freezers within five miles of our location, and more than 50 users of those cold storage facilities. We look to provide services to this customer base.”
The Mason Mega Rail Terminal in Savannah, with an annual capacity of 2 million TEUs, is another example of GPA’s commitment to intermodal transportation to drive efficiency and reduce emissions.
“It is the largest on-port rail terminal in the Western hemisphere, handling 42 trains per week,” said a GPA spokesman.
The efficiency of the GPA’s inland port model is already being realized. In 2024, the Appalachian Regional Port in Northwest Georgia handled more than 37,800 containers. Each container moved by rail avoids a 710-mile round trip by truck.”
“With ample current capacity to handle demand and room to grow its business, the Appalachian Regional Port is not experiencing any congestion,” said a GPA spokesman.
A GPA spokesman noted that the organization has worked to develop positive relationships with numerous stakeholders, including railroads, ocean carriers, economic development associations, and state and federal agencies, to establish Georgia as a leader in global trade. With an expanding infrastructure, innovative technologies, and a commitment to efficiency, the GPA is committed to connecting Georgia to the world.
