SAVANNAH, Ga. — The Georgia Ports Authority said business is booming at the Port of Savannah, kicking off 2024 with a boost in boxes brought in and taken out.
According to GPA, the amount of cargo moved by rail at the port hit 47,132 containers in January, a 27% increase.
Officials said that was owed to an increase of 10,000 boxes moving through the port last month, due in part to completion of the Mason Mega Rail project in 2023, which added 24 miles of on-terminal track.
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“Customers 250 miles inland and greater are tapping Savannah as their port of choice for ag exports, manufacturing components and retail goods,” Georgia Ports Authority President and CEO Griff Lynch said in a statement. “The investments we’ve made in rail capacity have not only increased the number of containers the Port of Savannah can handle each year, but extended our reach to new markets that can be served effectively by Garden City Terminal.”
The rail project cost $220 million, according to GPA, helping the port handle 428,000 24-foot equivalent container units in January.
The GPA said that was a 6,300 container increase compared to January 2022.
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“Areas such as Atlanta, Dallas and Memphis rely on the Port of Savannah to handle import and export goods with speed and efficiency,” Lynch said. “Our improved capacity means businesses across these important markets can grow their trade through Georgia.”
GPA Board Chairman Kent Fountain said the organization had finished almost $2 billion in infrastructure improvements and was planning another $4.2 billion to be invested over the next decade.
“Our goal is to ensure GPA customers have the necessary port infrastructure capacity and supply chain connectivity to support their long-term growth ambitions in world markets. This is what drives our port master plan investments,” Fountain said.
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