BRUNSWICK, Ga. (WSAV) — The Brunswick Port is now the nation's top port for automobiles and heavy equipment, officials announced during the State of the Port Wednesday.
The port handled more than two million tons of roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) cargo, Georgia Ports Authority CEO and President Griff Lynch said. This included handling over 900,000 units of automobiles and heavy equipment, marking a record year for the port.
Autos are up a little more than 13% and heavy equipment is up 160%, the Georgia Port Authority (GPA) said.
The GPA also said that more than 90% of the autos moved by rail at Colonel's Island were U.S. made exports.
Officials said that the port's capacity will be increased even further with a state and federal funding allowing from them to add new railyard and other improvements.
Lynch also said we should expect larger ships to be on the way in the next two to three years.
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Issues regarding the failure to perform dredging operation at the Brunswick Harbor was also discussed during the address.
"To date, the federal funding and procurement process has fallen short for both the annual maintenance dredging and the harbor modification project," The Port's press release said." It is imperative the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers identifies a workable solution for these projects of national significance."
U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock released a statement Wednesday asking for answers from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
“The Corps’ failure to execute a basic mission with ample funding provided by Congress raises serious concerns about the Corps’ ability to effectively execute such projects in future years,” the Senators wrote.
The dredging is necessary for more growth at the port, officials said.
“The Port of Brunswick is vital to Georgia’s economic growth and is poised to become the Nation’s busiest automotive port in the near future,” the joint release said. “The sustained success and future expansion of port operations relies on timely and effective dredging of the harbor.”
The State of the Port was held at the Jekyll Island Convention Center by the City of Brunswick.
