Georgia Ports see fewer TEUs, more Ro/Ro in fiscal 2024

(The Center Square) — The Georgia Ports Authority handled more than 5.2 million twenty-foot equivalent container units in fiscal 2024, a decrease of 123,000 TEUs or about 2.3% from last year, officials said.

However, at the Port of Brunswick, GPA reported a record year for roll-on/roll-off cargo in fiscal 2024, with 876,000 units of autos and high/heavy machinery, an increase of 152,435 units or roughly 21%. The diversion of cargo from Baltimore during April and May following the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse helped drive the increase.

"At Georgia Ports, our philosophy is to continue investing for the future, even during slower periods, so that we are ready for the next up cycle," GPA Board Chairman Kent Fountain said in an announcement. "That’s how we have built one of the most reliable operations in global logistics."

The Peach State’s logistics investment includes the previously announced $1.5 billion for infrastructure projects across Georgia. The funding includes $500 million for the Georgia Freight Program and 18 infrastructure projects that will ostensibly improve the state’s transportation network and facilitate the movement of freight.

The projects include $6 million in 2024 for preliminary engineering of a project to widen State Route 21 from State Route 30 in Chatham County to West 9th Street in Effingham County. The list also includes $5 million in 2024 for preliminary engineering of a to widen Interstate 16 from Interstate 95 in Chatham County to State Route 67 in Bulloch County; it also includes $30 million in 2025 for the project.

Peach State officials point to the Georgia Department of Transportation’s recent Georgia Freight Planning Analysis, which found that "total freight movement in Georgia is expected to double" over the "next 25 to 30 years" and that "Georgia’s primary freight-generating industries will continue to rely heavily on truck movements."

"To address this estimated growth in freight movement, infrastructure maintenance and expansion through focused investment will be required, using existing financial resources as well as additional funding appropriations and strategic partnerships with other government agencies and private-sector stakeholders," the report concluded. "Implementation of advanced technologies, pursuing creative solutions, and sustaining and enhancing policies will also be critical to continued success for Georgia’s primary freight-reliant industries including agriculture, manufacturing, and retail/distribution."

"Considering the findings of the analysis, continued and increased investment in Georgia’s transportation network has the potential to deliver significant benefits on key performance indicators that are important to freight owners and carriers, including reduced costs, increased safety, and improved reliability," the report concluded. "However, the innovative and insightful analysis to-date is the first of many necessary activities to determine which corridor segments, interchanges, intersections, and multi-modal facilities should be prioritized due to benefits to the public and to the economy, as well as feasibility from the standpoints of project delivery and funding eligibility."

GDOT officials said their efforts include prioritizing funding for road projects that officials think will move trucks more efficiently and identifying the next projects that are most feasible to deliver. The agency is also looking to partner with businesses to invest in support infrastructure, including additional truck parking and railroads.