ATLANTA: The Georgia Ports Authority may develop facilities in neighboring states, outgoing chief Curtis Foltz said Wednesday. Foltz, the executive director for the last seven years, told 1,700 trucking and shipping executives attending the Georgia Logistics Summit that his agency has identified six regions as candidates for so-called inland ports. If no one else develops them, the Ports Authority will take the lead. Those are rail yards where containers of freight are transferred between trains and tractor-trailer trucks.
The authority has been involved in the development of two inland ports in recent years, one in Cordele that is already operating and one in Chatsworth where construction is just beginning. Discussions are underway with third and fourth locations, he said. One would be in the Augusta area where a major shipper, a railroad and city officials are looking for a site and designs to minimize congestion on local roads. He offered no timeline for development.