Georgia Ports Authority’s Gainesville inland port set for May opening
The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) is opening its new inland port in Gainesville, Ga., on May 4, 2026. The infrastructure, formerly known as the Blue Ridge Connector, will strengthen Northeast Georgia’s commercial attractiveness and business competitiveness, the company says.
The project entailed a $134 million investment and will have an annual capacity of 200,000 containers.
In a press release, the GPA emphasized that the port’s direct connection to Savannah’s 40-ship-per-week global ocean carrier network will help local manufacturers reach international markets more efficiently, benefiting industries such as poultry, heavy equipment, and forestry.
The facility also features a direct rail with five-day-a-week service between Northeast Georgia and Savannah, providing shippers with an alternative to a 600-mile round-trip truck route and benefiting the entire Atlanta metropolitan area.
“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 round-trips in the first year alone,” said President and CEO of Georgia Ports Authority, Griff Lynch.
The Georgia Ports Authority is growing
The GPA is in the midst of carrying out a nearly $5 billion infrastructure investment plan. The initiative aims to expand berths, yards, gates, inland ports, and rail capacity over the next decade.
“New infrastructure assets take planning and time to build,” said Board Chairman of Georgia Ports Authority, 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 that their supply chain keeps pace with growth.”
Likewise, the renovation of Ocean Terminal in Savannah is progressing, said the Georgia Ports Authority. Phase one of the $1.6 billion project will open in July 2027, while Phase two will open in December 2028. The dock will stretch nearly 2,700 feet, allowing two large ships to dock simultaneously.
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.
The Port of Brunswick is also undergoing renovations, and dredging operations are expected to wrap up by the end of March 2026. Additional work aimed at returning the port’s inner and outer harbor to the authorized depth should be completed this summer.
*All images courtesy of Georgia Ports Authority
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