The Port of Savannah rightly gets a lot of news. A decade of dredging and other investments has the Garden City’s port of call among the top in the nation for freight with no signs of slowing its tremendous growth. The Port of Brunswick is a little like the little brother, often overlooked but still a critical part of the family.
Brunswick has something of a specialty in the Georgia Ports Authority as it is the main port for Ro/Ro cargo (Roll on, roll off). In short, Ro/Ro cargo has wheels – cars, tractors, construction vehicles etc. Brunswick is the country’s second busiest port for import and export Ro/Ro cargo.
“I was proud to sign the FY2024 amended budget with key investments in areas like public safety, education, and workforce development,” said Gov. Brian Kemp. “Reflecting our shared commitment to making Georgia the best state to live, work, and raise a family, I’m especially pleased this budget included record funding for infrastructure projects like the Brunswick Harbor, which plays a vital role in Georgia’s thriving economy.”
Specifically, the Brunswick money will widen the bend in the harbor, expand the turning basin (where ships are turned before docking) and an expanded meeting area in St. Simons Sound.
Despite a little hiccup from Rivian this week (they announced a delay on their Georgia plant), Georgia and its neighbors continue to crank out some automobiles. Georgia has a Kia plant; South Carolina is home to BMW, Volvo and Mercedes; Alabama Hyundai, Mercedes, Toyota, Mazda; Tennessee Nissan and Volkswagen. Many of these are destined for domestic markets but some will find their way to a ship in Brunswick. And Brunswick offers rail service to and from within a day from major population centers in the South and Midwest.
“I want to thank our state lawmakers, members of Congress and Gov. Kemp for their continued support of our port operations in Brunswick and Savannah,” said Georgia Ports Authority Board Chairman Kent Fountain. “These funds, as well as expected federal dollars, will enable GPA to more effectively support the businesses and jobs that rely on Brunswick for efficient connections to global markets.”
The funding for the harbor will go to the Corps of Engineers to add to the federal funding and meet the total cost of nearly $18 million. The feds have already kicked in $11.35 million, approximately 65 percent of the project total.
“For the past four years, we’ve seen an increasing number of vessel calls at the Port of Brunswick, and the car carriers serving Colonel’s Island have expanded in size to 7,000-vehicle capacity,” said GPA President and CEO Griff Lynch. “An improved channel will better accommodate growing business demand, and perfectly complements the terminal improvements we’re making in Brunswick.”
