The directors of the South Carolina State Ports Authority met in Charleston Tuesday and detailed the creation of an inland port in Greenville County.
The Ports Authority and Norfolk Southern Railroad will spend just over $33 million on the inland port near the Greer area. The Ports Authority board voted Tuesday to authorize up to $26 million in spending to create the inland port. Norfolk Southern would spend about $7.5 million for the rail infrastructure.
Ports Authority President and CEO Jim Newsome says he expects the project to be ready and open by the fall of next year. He says the port is meant to primarily serve the BMW plant. Ports officials believe the Greer facility will take an estimated 50,000 trucks off the road between Upstate and Charleston each year, mostly centered on Interstate 26.
Newsome also briefed the board on damage to four cranes at the Wando Terminal in Mount Pleasant from a recent storm. The president said the damage totaled roughly $6 million. One of the cranes is back in service and two others will be on line by Sept. 21. The fourth could require an additional nine months for repair.
Sheree Bernardi contributed to this report
