The GPA has developed and is in the process of implementing a new transportation initiative. It is a multimodal operating plan that takes into consideration the port’s statewide logistics obligation, as well as a more recent role, which has evolved over the past couple of decades, of becoming a strategic international gateway for our entire country.
Network Georgia (the in-state plan), and the Mid-American Arc (the out-of-state plan) were created to serve international logistics demands for all U.S. destinations via the Port of Savannah.
We are now moving freight around the world in a post canal expansion environment. Both canals vital to global commerce (Panama and Suez) have recently undergone game-changing improvements that we have not seen in over 100 years. Ships capable of carrying triple the amount of freight compared to previous vessel limits now move through the Panama Canal. Maximum vessel size has doubled via the Suez Canal since its expansion project was completed in 2015. As a result, freight moves more freely around our globe, between countries and continents, than it ever has before.
At the GPA, we recognize our role as a vital link in the global supply chain for U.S. commerce. The organization is committed to facilitating international trade by building and managing a port complex that is best in class and has the capability of growing with our economy.
We have invested $1 billion over the past 10 years and our capital plan includes an additional $2 billion over the next 10 years to ensure the terminal will accommodate the logistics demands for future U.S. international trade.
The International Multimodal Connector (IMMC) is our game-changing answer to the world’s call for moving goods faster and more efficiently. The IMMC will double Garden City Terminal’s annual rail lift capacity to 1 million containers. It also will make routes running deeper into the American Heartland more attractive to rail providers by better accommodating 10,000-foot long unit trains. This $128 million investment in the supply chain future will promote the flow of containers to intermodal ramps throughout the U.S., especially into the Midwest and upper Midwest. This is what we refer to as the Mid-American Arc initiative, our commercial strategy for serving these major market areas.
