South Carolina is breaking ground on a new inland port in Greer.
/ SC Ports Authority
GREER, S.C. (WACH/AP) -- South Carolina is breaking ground on a new inland port in Greer in a development that should help both shippers and motorists.
Gov. Nikki Haley, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and South Carolina Ports Authority CEO Jim Newsome are scheduled to be on hand for the groundbreaking Friday afternoon.
“This is a momentous day for the South Carolina Ports Authority and the entire state,” said Newsome in a release. “In just six months from now, this site will be a fully operating container yard, an extension of the port within the thriving cargo base of the Upstate and the I-85 corridor.”
Also in the release Gov. Nikki Haley said: "The inland port will play a crucial role in helping companies here move their goods more efficiently than ever before.”
The port, expected to cost as much as $25 million, will more efficiently move shipping containers and other goods by rail to the Port of Charleston. Port officials also estimate it eliminate 50,000 truck trips a year on busy Interstate 26 between Charleston and the Greenville-Spartanburg area.
Officials say the inland port is a big part of the state Port Authority's 10-year, $1.3 billion plan to improve its facilities.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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