Eastern Railroad Discussion > New CSX / Georgia Ports Authority intermodal ramp set to open

The GPA’s newest inland port is about to open in a month. The routing of CSX double stack trains from it to Savannah could add new traffic to the Georgia Road if that’s the routing CSX takes.

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/breakingnews/story/2018/jul/10/northwest-georgia-inland-port/474718/

I profess as to knowing little of the dynamics involved here.   If I read this correctly, containers arrive in Savannah and rail 388 miles to Appalachia, GA 44 miles from Chattanooga.  Seems like a strange place to go to rubber but I don't know the cargo into Savannah or the regional distribution centers.   Would there be block sawpping enroute or at Appalachia?

Tominde Wrote:
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> I profess as to knowing little of the dynamics
> involved here.   If I read this correctly,
> containers arrive in Savannah and rail 388 miles
> to Appalachia, GA 44 miles from Chattanooga. 
> Seems like a strange place to go to rubber but I
> don't know the cargo into Savannah or the regional
> distribution centers.   Would there be block
> sawpping enroute or at Appalachia?

The Inland port in Crandall, GA allows the Georgia Port Authority to have an inland gateway north of Atlanta for imported goods to better access the southeast without having to travel through Atlanta. With the deepening of the Savannah River for the Georgia Port Authority and the expansion of the Panama Canal, containerized traffic in the southeast is on the rise. Georgia DOT has a pair of massive design build projects in the works on I-16 at the Garden City Interchange and on the I-16 & I-95 Interchange, as well as an in-progress project to improve the I-16 & I-75 interchange in Macon. GDOT has also recently finished and opened an increased capacity project south of Atlanta on I-75 and within the next year will finish another north of Atlanta also along I-75. It has been reported, prior to the Panama Canal expansion that I-75 between Atlanta and Chattanooga has the highest daily TRUCK count in the country.

By having this inland port and another inland port that has been rumored to be in the planning stages, which supposedly will be on NS, if it comes to fruition, the rail traffic will help reduce truck traffic through Atlanta. Being closer to Chattanooga, container traffic is closer to Nashville, Birmingham, and Kentucky than if they had to travel through and around Atlanta. Land in the northwest and northeast corners of the state is fairly cheap at this time, eventhough the I-75 & I-85 corridors stretching north and northeast from town are starting to see significant pockets of large DC's popping up.

Atlanta has a current growth rate of +10,000 people per month, which is expected to remain steady for the next 30+ years, which is an additional 3.6 million people to an area that already exceeds 5 million and has arguably the worst traffic in the country. GDOT and the other respective State offices understand that these inland ports will help relieve not only long term traffic issues, but will help continue the current economic growht that the state is experiencing.

Russ

 

Well said Russ, thank you.
(Starts slow applause)

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/12/18 10:41 by darkcloud.

darkcloud Wrote:
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> Not Birmingham, Fairburn is a shorter dray for
> that area.  Maybe far northeast AL.  Definitely
> the arc from Dalton/Calhoun, GA to northeast TN,
> along with Nashville and KY that you mentioned.

Fairburn isn't controlled by the Georgia Port Authority and by extension US Customs. If containers clear customs in Savannah, then Birmingham via Fairburn wouls be the more direct route. 

Russ

At one time Dalton  and its hinterlands generated a lot of export traffic with the carpet business. If that business is still there, the inland port will generate some outbound, too,

Jack

Having recently drove I-75 north to Chattanooga and arriving around 5:00 PM I can tell you that the interchange in Chattanooga of I-75 & I-24 is a major backup problem. I-75 coming south from Knoxville makes a swing to the west to Chattanooga and where it meets the end of I-24 makes a turn back to the southeast. Friends in Chattanooga tell me that there is talk of an I-75 bypass that would leave existing 75 south of Cleveland, Tn and reconnect south of Dalton, Ga. If that comes to pass it the location of the new intermodal would make more sense in that it would be close to the new I-75 route.

Tominde Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I profess as to knowing little of the dynamics
> involved here.   If I read this correctly,
> containers arrive in Savannah and rail 388 miles
> to Appalachia, GA 44 miles from Chattanooga. 
> Seems like a strange place to go to rubber but I
> don't know the cargo into Savannah or the regional
> distribution centers.   Would there be block
> sawpping enroute or at Appalachia?

1019X Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Having recently drove I-75 north to Chattanooga
> and arriving around 5:00 PM I can tell you that
> the interchange in Chattanooga of I-75 & I-24 is a
> major backup problem. I-75 coming south from
> Knoxville makes a swing to the west to Chattanooga
> and where it meets the end of I-24 makes a turn
> back to the southeast. Friends in Chattanooga tell
> me that there is talk of an I-75 bypass that would
> leave existing 75 south of Cleveland, Tn and
> reconnect south of Dalton, Ga. If that comes to
> pass it the location of the new intermodal would
> make more sense in that it would be close to the
> new I-75 route.

As a resident of NW Georgia, that is a connection that I would like to see. The countryside is pretty hilly, so it likely would not be cheap.

Jack

Even at the stated maximum capacity of 50,000 containers at the new facility, that's no bonanza for the sleepy Georgia Subdivision. Sounds like about 2600 +/- feet of train per day.

ts1457 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 1019X Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Having recently drove I-75 north to Chattanooga
> > and arriving around 5:00 PM I can tell you that
> > the interchange in Chattanooga of I-75 & I-24 is
> a
> > major backup problem. I-75 coming south from
> > Knoxville makes a swing to the west to
> Chattanooga
> > and where it meets the end of I-24 makes a turn
> > back to the southeast. Friends in Chattanooga
> tell
> > me that there is talk of an I-75 bypass that
> would
> > leave existing 75 south of Cleveland, Tn and
> > reconnect south of Dalton, Ga. If that comes to
> > pass it the location of the new intermodal
> would
> > make more sense in that it would be close to
> the
> > new I-75 route.
>
> As a resident of NW Georgia, that is a connection
> that I would like to see. The countryside is
> pretty hilly, so it likely would not be cheap.
>
> Jack

GDOT and TDOT are jointly working on a couple of joint projects the help alieviate congestion issuers in the Chattanooga area. First one that is supposed to bid is the I75 & I-24 Interchange.

Russ

NSTopHat Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> GDOT and TDOT are jointly working on a couple of
> joint projects the help alieviate congestion
> issuers in the Chattanooga area. First one that is
> supposed to bid is the I75 & I-24 Interchange.
>
> Russ

Thanks, that is an old interchange.

Jack

50,000 is a helluva lot of containers and semis off the interstate highway system! More of this must happen.

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50,000 is a helluva lot of containers and semis off the interstate highway system! More of this must happen.

Posted from Android