GPA Sees Record August Container Volumes

Georgia Ports Authority/Stephen B. Morton The Georgia Ports Authority achieved an August record of 330,846 twenty-foot equivalent container units, marking an increase of 5 percent compared to August 2015. August container unit volumes were the third highest in the Authoritys history, behind April and May 2015 at the height of diverted cargo from the West Coast, Executive Director, Griff Lynch, said. Total cargo across all terminals reached 2.62 million tons in August, an increase of 117,470 tons, or 4.7 percent. The Authority has started off the fiscal year on a strong footing, with positive year-over-year growth in both July and August, GPA Board Chairman, Jimmy Allgood, said, adding that the volumes have exceeded previously forecasted levels, but are in line with expectations for the balance of FY2017. The long-term growth will be enhanced by the new initiative announced last week, GPAs Mid-American Arc, which will focus on the growth of intermodal rail, extending the Port of Savannahs reach to capture new markets ranging in an arc from Atlanta to Memphis, St. Louis, Chicago and the Ohio Valley. The Port of Savannah International Multi-modal Connector will link Garden City Terminal’s two rail yards, growing the terminal’s rail lift capacity to some 1 million containers each year.