WASHINGTON: At its July board meeting, the Georgia Ports Authority approved a spending package of $19.7 million to construct the Appalachian Regional Port (ARP) in Chatsworth, Murray County, Georgia.
The funds consist of $10 million from the state of Georgia and $9.7 million from the GPA. In addition, the rail transportation carrier CSX Transportation is making off-site improvements to facilitate the new inland port. Murray County purchased the land at a cost of $700,000 and deeded the site to GPA. For the land purchase, $500,000 came from a state economic development grant and $200,000 from the Murray County Economic Development Authority.
“The Appalachian Regional Port will create a new gateway to the Port of Savannah for our customers serving Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and beyond,” said Executive Director Griff Lynch. “We estimate the ARP will offset more than 350 truck miles per container, or close to 18 million miles every year.”
