An inland port project linking Northeast Georgia to the Port of Savannah by rail is getting a $2 million federal grant.
U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock announced the Department of Commerce grant, which will fund road and infrastructure improvements needed to establish the new Northeast Georgia Inland Port in Hall County. The planned port will provide a direct link to the Port of Savannah via Norfolk Southern.
This new federal funding is expected to create nearly 700 jobs and generate $185 million in private investment.
“As promised, we are delivering resources to create Georgia jobs by upgrading our infrastructure and expanding Georgia’s ports,” said Sen. Ossoff. Added Warnock, “I am proud to see these funds go to Hall County, and will keep fighting for additional federal investments that will help strengthen our transportation infrastructure and manufacturing capacity in Northeast Georgia.”
The Georgia Ports Authority has been working since late 2018 on the project, which will move cargo containers of imports and exports between the Gainesville area and the docks in Savannah. By truck, that’s approximately a 300-mile trip.
The ports authority has said the rail terminal, once complete, will have the capacity to move about 150,000 cargo containers each year.
Georgia already has two similar inland rail ports in Murray County near the Tennessee state line and Crisp county in southwest Georgia.
