The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) has announced the opening of its new inland port in Gainesville, Georgia.
The inland port is scheduled to open on 4 May 2026, with the aim of strengthening regional competitiveness and improving access to global markets.
The facility will connect directly to Savannah’s network of 40 weekly container ship calls, offering manufacturers in northeast Georgia, particularly in poultry, heavy equipment and forest products, a more efficient route to export markets.
A five-day-a-week rail service between Gainesville and Savannah is expected to replace a 600-mile round-trip truck journey, reducing road congestion and emissions.
Griff Lynch, President and CEO of GPA, said: “Our new inland rail facility in Gainesville, Georgia, will significantly offset truck traffic congestion in Atlanta and improve air quality by replacing an estimated 26,000 truck roundtrips in the first year alone. We’re already seeing positive customer engagement and Norfolk Southern will bring an excellent level of service working together with GPA.”
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At full build-out, the $134 million Gainesville Inland Port will have an annual capacity of 200,000 containers.
GPA has also invested $4.8 million in local infrastructure upgrades, including road realignments and the removal of a rail crossing, to minimise the impact on surrounding communities.
The project forms part of GPA’s broader $5 billion, decade-long investment programme to expand berth, yard, gate, inland port and rail capacity.
Elsewhere, GPA’s $1.6 billion redevelopment of Ocean Terminal in Savannah is progressing, with the first phase due in July 2027 and full completion by December 2028.
The upgraded facility will feature nearly 2,700 feet of berth space, enabling two large vessels to dock simultaneously, alongside a new gate complex and improved road access.
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At the Port of Brunswick, maintenance dredging is nearing completion, with further works scheduled through the summer to restore authorised channel depths.
Meanwhile, US Customs and Border Protection has relocated to a new 300,000 square feet facility at Garden City Terminal, doubling its previous footprint and expanding inspection capacity. Additional refrigerated inspection space is set to come online in June 2026.
Year-to-date volumes at the Port of Savannah reached 3.73 million TEUs, down 0.2 per cent year on year, with February throughput falling 7 per cent to 445,214 TEUs.
At Brunswick’s Colonels Island Terminal, RoRo volumes declined 11.4 per cent year to date, with February volumes down 19.4 per cent.
Lynch added: “We do see cargo volumes slowing down and forecast a drop in volumes for the remaining four months of this fiscal year.”
The announcement follows GPA’s recent US–India trade agreement.
For more information:
Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) – https://gaports.com/
