We are excited to announce the Appalachian Regional Port in Northwest Georgia’s Murray County is now open for business.
As you can see in the video below, there is a lot of enthusiasm about yesterday’s opening, from logistics professionals and economic developers to educators and residents of Murray County.
We’re already seeing greater demand for industrial space in the area. The Murray County Industrial Development Authority has signed two new port-related projects to its industrial park, which it established in January.
For cargo owners, the Appalachian Regional Port, or ARP, will be just what you’re used to from a Georgia Ports operation: congestion free and easy to access, with expedited handling and reliability. In fact, the first containers bound for the ARP from Garden City Terminal were moved from vessel to rail in as little as 20 minutes and no longer than two hours. For perspective, the industry standard for loading cargo from ship to rail is 48 hours.
The ARP sits on 42 acres along U.S. 411, with easy access to Interstate 75, so cargo owners can get to their containers without delays. We also give you extra time to move containers off terminal at the ARP, with five days free storage for loaded containers and 10 days free for empties. The location will serve as a convenient source of empty containers for manufacturers across the region, offering significant savings on repositioning equipment for exports.
The new rail option will offset 710 truck miles on Georgia highways. For more details on the opening, be sure to check out our special ARP website and news release.
Additionally, I would like to remind you that construction of our Mason Mega Rail Terminal is well under way at Garden City Terminal, with Phase I to be complete in the fourth quarter of 2019, and Phase II to be delivered by the fourth quarter of 2020. The Mega Rail project will double Savannah’s rail lift capacity to one million containers per year, extend our market reach farther into the U.S. Midwest, and complement the ARP by expanding our rail service offerings.
Through capital investments in Savannah, Brunswick and around the state, GPA delivers unmatched efficiency and consistent performance. As always, we thank you for your business and appreciate your continued trust in the Georgia Ports Authority as we grow our service offerings.
