The Port of Savannah moved 4.8 million TEUs from January through October 2025, a 4% increase, according to new data. The year-to-date gain of 183,250 TEUs comes despite a softer October. Monthly volumes fell 8.4% from a year earlier to 452,934 TEUs.
At the Port of Brunswick, Colonels Island Terminal handled 72,234 units of autos and heavy equipment in October. That marks a 5.4% increase, or 3,700 additional units. Year-to-date volumes totaled 689,662 units, down 9% from 2024.
Georgia Ports Authority President and CEO Griff Lynch said global conditions continue to weigh on trade flows. “We’ve been impacted by the trade downturn,” he said. “We look forward to more trade deals coming together and hope the market rebounds in the new year.”
Blue Ridge Connector on Track for Spring 2026 Opening
The GPA is also nearing completion of the $127 million Blue Ridge Connector, an inland rail terminal in Northeast Georgia. The facility sits 50 miles from Atlanta in a fast-growing manufacturing and logistics corridor. Today, the region relies on a five-hour truck route to and from Savannah.
Lynch said construction remains on schedule for a Spring 2026 launch. The terminal will link directly to the Port of Savannah by rail and serve a regional population of more than 2 million. GPA leaders expect the new service to ease traffic congestion, reduce trucking through Atlanta, and support continued economic development.
GPA Board Chairman Alec Poitevint said the Connector will strengthen Georgia’s competitiveness. “Our Blue Ridge Connector service will create new opportunities for Georgia’s commerce to flow smoother and attract more jobs and prosperity to the Peach State,” he said.
In its first year, the rail service will remove an estimated 52,000 truck trips from Atlanta’s roads. GPA projects the long-term potential to reach 400,000 trips annually as demand grows. The shift to rail is expected to cut CO₂ emissions by 90%, or 22,510 metric tons in the first year alone.
To minimize local impacts near Gainesville, GPA invested $4.8 million in Hall County road upgrades. The work eliminated an at-grade rail crossing, rerouted White Sulphur Road and resurfaced Cagle Road. Both improvement projects finished in late summer.
When the Connector opens, Norfolk Southern will operate daily doublestack rail service Monday through Friday.
