The Georgia Ports Authority will spend $127 million building a new inland terminal for moving cargo by train between Savannah’s busy seaport and Gainesville. The state authority’s governing board voted Tuesday to approve the funding, which includes a $46.8 million federal grant.
Known as the Blue Ridge Connector, the terminal will link northeast Georgia to the Port of Savannah by rail across roughly 250 miles giving shippers an alternative to moving cargo by truck through Atlanta. The terminal means every container moved by rail will avoid a 600-mile road trip by a truck.
The Gainesville facility will be the third inland terminal operated by the state authority. It also has them in Murray County south of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and in rural Bainbridge in southwest Georgia. The new facility is expected to open in 2026.
