On Thursday, October 29th, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp joined customers, Hall County dignitaries and Georgia Ports leaders for the grand opening ceremony of the $134 million Gainesville Inland Port. This huge development connects Gainesville, Georgia, a huge manufacturing region with the Port of Savannah.
According to Georgia Ports,
The Gainesville Inland Port is fully operational, with direct rail service from Norfolk Southern five days a week between Northeast Georgia and the Port of Savannah. With a direct connection to Savannah’s 40 ships per week global ocean carrier network, local manufacturers — including poultry, heavy equipment, and forest product companies — can reach international markets more efficiently.
Georgia Governor Kemp hosted the grand opening, along with Hall County dignitaries and Georgia Port leaders.
The Governor said in a statement,
Georgia’s ports are a major reason companies choose to invest and create jobs here, and the Gainesville Inland Port brings that advantage directly to Northeast Georgia. Connecting this region to the Port of Savannah with new supply chain options makes it easier for Georgia businesses to reach customers around the world and helps ease congestion on our highways.
How does this affect Atlantans?
A positive side effect of using the rail line instead of trucks, is reducing the number of big trucks on the highway in Georgia and cutting through Atlanta.
In fact, the Georgia Ports Authority expects to shift 26,000 containers to rail in the terminal’s first year of operation, improving emissions and reducing trucks on Atlanta and Georgia highways.
In other words, this could help cut down on traffic in the ATL, which is famously one of ATLiens’ biggest complaints about the city.
The Gainesville Inland Port will also:
- create more jobs in the area
- increase economic development
- benefit the environment with fewer trucks on the road
- reduce noise in surrounding areas
You can learn all about this new development on Georgia Ports’ website, here!