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SAVANNAH, Ga., February 25, 2025 – Building strong partnerships, superior connectivity, ample capacity ahead of demand and a responsible approach with communities is the “GPA way,” and sets the ports of Savannah and Brunswick apart from the competition. That was the message shared at the Savannah State of the Port event Feb. 25.
“The impact of Georgia’s ports is felt in all 159 counties, as hardworking Georgians and the industries that employ them rely on these gateways to global commerce to reach markets around the world,” said Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. “I’m proud to know that the bulk of our exports are produced by small businesses, and the outstanding performance of the Georgia Ports Authority – along with its commitment to strategic investment and growth – are key reasons our state has been ranked No. 1 for business for 11 years in a row.”
GPA Board Chairman Kent Fountain said a cooperative environment among government and supply chain stakeholders is key to Georgia Ports’ success. “All the accolades credited to Georgia Ports are the result of our amazing partnerships,” Fountain said. “It begins with Gov. Kemp and the state legislature, and it extends through our Georgia Ports employees, the local ILA, Gateway Terminals and all our port partners in Savannah and Brunswick. Their collaborative effort makes our ports the nation’s best operated and easiest to use for our customers’ global business.”
Before an audience of more than 1,700 business leaders and elected officials at the Savannah Convention Center, Georgia Ports President and CEO Griff Lynch laid out plans to increase capacity in Savannah, add berth space over the short and long term, boost container yard and rail capacity, and grow the truck gates at the Port of Savannah.
The expansion is needed to handle growing business. GPA handled nearly 5.6 million twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) last year – an increase of approximately 618,000 TEUs compared to 2023. That made Savannah the fastest growing container gateway on the U.S. East and Gulf coasts.
“Growth at the nation’s gateway terminals outpaced all other ports in the nation, and Savannah is clearly the gateway port for the U.S. Southeast,” Lynch said. “We see this pattern only continuing to accelerate.”
“Even in a challenging year, we still found a way to grow by 12.5 percent, and I think one conclusion we can draw here is that connectivity is key,” Lynch said, noting Savannah is one of the best globally connected ports in the U.S. “It’s been an incredible year, considering the headwinds of the difficulties surrounding the Suez Canal and the extended labor contract negotiations. Our congratulations go to the International Longshoremen’s Association and the U.S. Maritime Alliance for developing a six-year agreement with winners on both sides.”
To stay ahead of demand, Lynch announced the opening of a new lay berth effective immediately at Ocean Terminal.
“While we’re renovating Ocean Terminal, we’re going to use the berth space there as a staging area for big ships,” Lynch said. “This will drastically reduce the transition time between large vessels departing and arriving, allow us to work two more big ships per week and add up to 1 million TEUs of extra capacity per year.
A second lay berth at Ocean Terminal will come online in 2026. Use of the staging area will decrease the time a berth is open and unused at Garden City Terminal from the current 12 hours down to 3 hours, for a 75 percent improvement in berth idle time.
Phase I of the Ocean Terminal yard renovation will be completed in mid-2027; the second phase by mid-2028. This will increase capacity by up to 1.5 million TEUs per year.
Longer term plans call for the Savannah Container Terminal on Hutchinson Island to open in Phase I by 2030, ultimately adding three additional big ship berths and 3.5 million TEUs of annual capacity in phases, based on demand. The facility is currently in the permitting phase.
“These improvements are necessary to stay ahead of growing demand and to continue providing the world-class service our customers have come to expect at Georgia Ports,” Lynch said. “With $4 billion in investments planned for Ocean Terminal and Savannah Container Terminal, Savannah will be a 12.5 million-TEU capacity port by 2035.”
INTERMODAL RAIL SETS RECORD
Mason Mega Rail Terminal achieved record volumes in 2024, moving 540,850 containers by train, up 29,000 containers compared to 2023, or 5.7 percent. The on-port facility provides dual access to Norfolk Southern and CSX railroads.
The Appalachian Regional Port also helped boost GPA’s performance, with an annual high of 37,840 rail lifts at the Northwest Georgia inland port, up 8.3 percent over 2023.
“Savannah continued to lead the nation’s major ports in speed to rail in 2024, with containers connecting from vessel to departing train in just one day,” Lynch said. “When port users choose Savannah, their cargo reaches inland markets with greater speed and the kind of reliability customers can plan around. For rail cargo, we average 19 to 24 hours from vessel discharge to rail departure.”
For port customers, cargo velocity equals reduced inventory costs.
The Blue Ridge Connector, near Gainesville, Ga., is slated to open in 2026, served by Norfolk Southern. Lynch said the BRC is located in one of Georgia’s fastest growing markets. The area’s population is expanding six times faster than the national average, driving increased consumer demand. Containers moving between the Blue Ridge Connector and the Port of Savannah by rail will avoid a 600-mile roundtrip by truck. The 104-acre facility will have a full capacity of 200,000 containers each year, which would avoid 120 million truck miles annually.
FREIGHT MOBILITY: Partnering with Georgia DOT
Lynch said the Georgia Department of Transportation is a key partner in ensuring freight mobility beyond the port terminal gates. Georgia DOT is developing a series of projects to ensure the free flow of truck and commuter traffic around the Port of Savannah.
Freight cargo projects include reconstructing the interchange at I-16 and I-95 in Chatham County to increase operational efficiency and safety. Georgia DOT is also widening I-16 to relieve traffic congestion. Completion is expected in 2025.
The Brampton Road Connector will provide a direct link between Garden City Terminal’s gates and the interstate system. It includes a four-lane highway and state route spur to connect the Port of Savannah’s Gate 3 to SR 25, SR 21 and US 80. Expected completion is in mid-2026.
Working in conjunction with Georgia DOT, the GPA is investing $29 million in an overpass at Ocean Terminal that will avoid truck traffic on local roads by connecting departing trucks directly to U.S. Route 17.
Georgia DOT is using an innovative delivery method for improvements to the US 17/SR 404 Spur bridge over the Savannah River. The agency has hired a specialty designer and major bridge contractor to collaborate on the design and construction project, which will replace existing cables and increase air draft beneath the bridge. Construction on the multi-year project is planned to begin in the summer of 2026.
ECONOMIC IMPACT: The port as an economic engine
Growing capacity improves Georgia Ports’ ability to support the economies of the state and nation, Lynch said.
Port activity in Georgia now supports more than 609,000 full- and part-time jobs across the Peach State, according to an economic impact study by the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business. That number is up 48,000 jobs or 8.6 percent compared to Fiscal Year 2021, the period covered by the previous study.
Other statewide impacts include:
- $171 billion in sales for Georgia businesses (12 percent of state total / up 22 percent vs. FY2021)
- $72 billion in goods produced or services provided by port-supported industry each year (9 percent of total state GDP / up 22 percent vs. FY2021)
- $40 billion in income earned by Georgians annually (6 percent of Georgia’s total personal income / up 21.2 percent vs. FY2021)
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