Georgia port authority continues to expand inland connectivity

The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) continues to post progress with the Blue Ridge Connector project near Gainsville to expand rail cargo capacity and move containers across the state and into the Midwest faster and more efficiently.

When complete in 2026, the 104-acre site for the inland port will feature six tracks totaling 18,000 feet. The Blue Ridge Connector will link northeast Georgia with the Port of Savannah’s 36 weekly global container ship services. 

Norfolk Southern Railway will provide five-day service per week to the connector. GPA will provide expedited service from Savannah to the connector with third-day availability.

The $127 million inland port will serve an existing customer base that includes producers of heavy equipment and forest products. The connector will have an annual capacity of 200,000 containers.

"Customers will no longer need to truck containers through Hall County to the Port of Savannah, because shorter routes to the inland port will become possible," GPA officials said in a press release. "Additionally, every container moved by rail means fewer trucks on state highways moving through the Atlanta area."

The authority is working closely with NS to tie the port's infrastructure into the railroad's existing track.