Georgia maritime administrator attends rail-project groundbreaking

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Mark Buzby, Georgia Department of Transportation’s maritime administrator, attended the groundbreaking of the $127 million Port of Savannah’s Mason Mega Rail project March 27.

Once completed, the Garden City Terminal will improve safety by removing six railroad crossings and relocating the lead train track onto the port’s property. It also will reduce highway congestion by taking 200,000 trucks off the road annually.

The terminal will have 18 working tracks and 180,000 feet of rail.

The project combines the Mason and Chatham rail yards, operated by Norfolk Southern and CSX railroads, into a new terminal capable of loading 10,000-foot trains with containers double-stacked. This is expected to double capacity at the port to 1 million container lifts annually.

“The maritime industry is a crucial component in the overall economic success of the country,” Buzby said. “Investments in our intermodal infrastructure improve the efficiency and intermodal capabilities of our nation’s ports and ensures the U.S. is competitive in the global market.”

The project received a $44 million Fostering Advancements in Shipping and Transportation for The Long-Term Achievement of National Efficiencies grant.

This year’s construction includes rail bridges that will carry seven tracks connecting two existing intermodal container transfer facilities.

Garden City Terminal is expected to become operational in the fall of 2019.