Army Corps of Engineers to begin environmental assessment for proposed South Carolina intermodal facility

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Charleston District recently announced it will begin preparing an Environmental Impact Statement for a proposed intermodal container transfer facility (ICTF) at the former Charleston Naval Complex in North Charleston, S.C.

In addition, the Corps scheduled a Nov. 14 public scoping meeting on the project in North Charleston.

Palmetto Railways — which until recently was known as South Carolina Public Railways — plans to construct and operate the ICTF. The facility will provide equal access to both CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway, according to Palmetto Railways.

The project site includes 90 acres for the intermodal facility and 42 acres for off-site road and rail improvements. The ICTF would feature storage and processing tracks, wide-span gantry cranes, container stacking areas, administrative buildings and vehicle driving lanes.

Other related infrastructure improvements would include north and south rail leads; a private drayage road connecting to the South Carolina State Ports Authority's container facility under construction at the naval complex; an overpass connecting Cosgrove Avenue to McMillan Avenue; and improvements to an existing overpass.