SC Ports Authority breaks ground on new near-dock rail facility

The South Carolina Ports Authority yesterday broke ground on Navy Base Intermodal Facility, a near-dock rail facility to be built at the Port of Charleston.

The rail-served facility and intermodal yard is designed to help maintain cargo fluidity and capacity at the port, SC Ports officials said in a press release. The facility will be located about a mile from Leatherman Terminal.

Containers will be moved between the new facility and Leatherman Terminal on a dedicated road. Inside the yard, rail-mounted gantry cranes will move containers on and off trains.

CSX, Norfolk Southern Railway and Palmetto Railways will serve the facility on nearly 80,000 feet of track. The facility will also be connected to inland ports in Greer and Dillon, which are served by NS and CSX, respectively. Palmetto Railways worked with the authority to develop the facility on a 118-acre site at a former naval complex in Charleston.

"This resolves the last remaining competitive disadvantage we have as a major East Coast container port,” said SC Ports President and CEO Barbara Melvin. "This critical infrastructure project will greatly enhance SC Ports’ capacity, allowing imports and exports to swiftly move between the hinterland and the Port of Charleston.”

The facility also will feature an inner-harbor barge operation for moving containers between Wando Welch and Leatherman terminals through a designated marine highway, port officials said.

The South Carolina Legislature and Gov. Henry McMaster have allocated $550 million for both projects — $400 million for the rail yard and $150 million for the barge operation. Both projects are slated to open in mid-2025.