Georgia Ports Authority’s new inland port in Gainesville, Ga., opens May 4, 2026, a development GPA says will strengthen Northeast Georgia’s attractiveness and business competitiveness.

With a direct connection to Savannah’s 40 ships per week global ocean carrier network, local manufacturers — including poultry, heavy equipment, and forest product companies — can reach international markets more efficiently. 

Direct rail with five day a week service between Northeast Georgia and Savannah gives shippers an alternative to a 600-mile roundtrip truck route that will reduce trucks on Georgia’s highways and in the Atlanta region.

“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,” said Georgia Ports President and CEO Griff Lynch at the March 24 GPA Board meeting.

At full build-out, the $134 million Gainesville Inland Port (formerly known as the Blue Ridge Connector) will have an annual capacity of 200,000 containers.

To reduce the new railyard’s traffic impact on local communities in Gainesville, GPA funded $4.8 million in Hall County projects, eliminating an at-grade rail crossing, rerouting White Sulphur Road and surfacing Cagle Road. The new White Sulphur route south of the inland terminal ensures free access for emergency vehicles and avoids traffic disruption from trains. Equally important, the resurfacing of Cagle Road offers an improved alternative for residents. Both projects were completed in late summer 2025.

Infrastructure investments shaping the future 
GPA is carrying out a nearly $5 billion infrastructure investment plan over the next decade to expand berths, yards, gates, inland ports and rail capacity. “New infrastructure assets take planning and time to build,” said GPA Board Chairman Alec Poitevint. “We believe in a steady investment that delivers port capacity ahead of our customers’ future needs. This enables our customers to plan long-term for the future and have confidence their supply chain keeps pace with growth. We want to thank Governor Kemp, the General Assembly, and GDOT for the great work they are doing with Peach State infrastructure projects outside the terminal, like Brampton Road, the Talmadge Bridge, and the widening of Savannah highways for freight to move easier.”

Ocean Terminal project moving forward
GPA’s $1.6 billion renovation of Ocean Terminal in Savannah is progressing. Phase one will open in July 2027. Phase two opens in December 2028. The dock will stretch nearly 2,700 feet, allowing two large ships to dock simultaneously. Ocean Terminal’s renovated container yard will open in phases starting in July 2027 through December 2028. A new gate complex at Ocean Terminal with 12 inbound and six outbound lanes will open by November 2026, while a new GPA-funded $29 million overpass is open now, enabling trucks to enter straight onto the I-16 corridor, keeping traffic off neighborhood streets. 

Brunswick harbor improvements in motion
Dredging operations at the Port of Brunswick are expected to wrap up by the end of March 2026, with additional work to be completed this summer, aimed at returning the port’s inner and outer harbor to the authorized depth. The U.S Army Corps of Engineers project is a normal part of the annual maintenance dredging for the waterway. 

U.S. Customs moves to new Savannah facility
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has moved into a new 300,000-square-foot facility on Garden City Terminal, doubling its previous size. Opened in February, the building also supports inspections by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In June 2026, 4,000 square feet of refrigerated space will come online for chilled cargo inspections.

Year-to-date cargo volumes
For the fiscal year to date (July 1, 2025-Feb. 28, 2026), the Port of Savannah has handled 3.73 million twenty-foot equivalent container units, down 0.2 percent or 8,500 TEUs compared to the same period last year. February volumes reached 445,214 TEUs, a decrease of 7 percent or 34,633 TEUs.

At the Port of Brunswick, for the fiscal year to date, Colonels Island Terminal has handled 504,535 units of RoRo cargo, down 11.4 percent or approximately 64,800 units. In February, the same facility handled 49,707 Roll-on/Roll-off units, down 19.4 percent or 11,960 units. Of that trade, 2,660 units was heavy machinery, down 35 percent, or 1,440 units compared to February 2025. 

“We do see cargo volumes slowing down and forecast a drop in volumes for the remaining four months of this fiscal year,” Lynch added.