I’ve been following the local news lately and it seems and states of Georgia and South Carolina are planning a new port on the Savannah River on the Jasper County, SC side. The state of South Carolina is already planning to spend $50 Million to construct a new exit on I-95 to access a new industrial development, which will be supported by the port.
I wonder if CSX will be constructing new lines to access the new port as well. Heir main line runs parallel to I-95 right in the area. I highly doubt that they’d let that new market go untapped. Here’s a link to the most recent article on the port project: http://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/story/247616.html
GP-9 man- I read your post and wondered just what effect this will have on the area around Bluffton, and then I saw your signature and realized you were from there. My wife and I visited your town 2 years ago and absolutely loved it. We try to make a trip to the Savannah area about every two years, and we decided we would try to stay around Bluffton the next time we head that way.
So, how close will this be to B’ton? I tried to link to it but it wouldn’t come up. I’m going to grab the atlas and see if I can figure out where it’s going to go.
Thanks for the post, and let me know whats going on!
CSX can access the new port relatively easily, as mentioned by a previous poster. Does NS have a line on the SC side, from which access to the new port would be relatively easy, or would they have to bridge the Savannah River?
Please keep us updated on the progress of the new port.
If I remember the map correctly, NS’ line are further inland in SC. I will have to double check that however. If that’s right they would either have to build their own brideg over the river or run on CSX via trackage rights.
As for how Bluffton would be affected, the new port will be about ten miles away in Jasper County (Bluffton is in Beaufort County). The port has to be west of I-95 because the Savannah National Wildlife refuge is to the east. However it would be nice if Bluffton Parkway (a new road being constructed from SC route 170 to the Hilton Head Island Bridges) were connected to the new Exit 3. Then it would truly be an alternative to US 278.
If that is the case, then the new port is almost right on the CSX mainline (Charleston Sub) which runs north-south right through the middle of Jasper County. I think the closest NS line is across the Savannah River in GA as another poster mentioned above, so seems more likely to use CSX rails to access this new facility.