The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) has outlined its recent port enhancements at the 2023 Georgia Transportation Summit.
GPA Chief Operating Officer (COO), Ed McCarthy, detailed GPA’s $4.5 billion in projects and plans to enhance port infrastructure over the next decade.
The Georgia Transportation Summit is held annually in partnership with the Georgia Department of Transportation.
Drawing more than 1,500 in attendance, this event features transportation leaders, elected officials, and professionals from Georgia’s engineering industry.
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McCarthy discussed how GPA has a solid cooperation and planning process with the Georgia Department of Transportation to build long-term infrastructure projects.
He stated: “We work closely with GDOT Commissioner Russell McMurry whose engineering leadership, data-driven approach and future investments keep Georgia’s freight transportation system the industry leader.
“By 2026, GDOT’s $127 million Brampton Road Connector will provide direct access for trucks from Interstate 516 to Gate 3 of the Port of Savannah’s Garden City Terminal – expanding capacity while reducing impact on local traffic on communities.”
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According to GPA, truck traffic is the most common user of the port, while rail accounts for 18-21 per cent of cargo volume. Rail is utilised to target high-traffic regions that are more than 200 miles from the port.
McCarthy’s presentation was part of a panel discussion moderated by Michael Sullivan, President and CEO of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Georgia.
Panel members included Anna Roach, Executive Director and CEO of the Atlanta Regional Commission, Balram Bheodari, General Manager of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Collie Greenwood, General Manager and CEO of MARTA, Jannine Miller, Director of Planning at GDOT and Russell McMurry, Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner.
