Jim Fair
Michael Hoffman was introduced as the South Carolina Inland Port Terminal Manager. He was at the information session listening to questions from the public about the port.
Jim Fair
Jack Ellenburg of the South Carolina Inland Port made a brief presentation and was among the Port Authority officials at the Cannon Centre.
Jim Fair
Norfolk Southern's Brian Gwin, left, explains where the new rail lines will be located at the Inland Port.
The truck routing map shows the route exiting I-85 to the Inland Port. Truck raffic will be prohibited through downtown Greer.
Jack Ellenburg, of the South Carolina Ports, gave a brief but informative presentation, outlining the traffic pattern for trucks, updating progress at the port and giving the public and businesses an opportunity to meet the key state entities and their associates for questions and answers.
“Within 500 miles (radius) of Greer is 100 million people,” Ellenburg said. “We think Greer is the gateway to that market.”
Michael Hoffman was introduced as the Inland Port Terminal Manager. He and 14 of the 20 hires are already training in Charleston. The Port is scheduled to begin operations Sept. 3.
Traffic from Brockman McClimon Road will turn onto Highway 101, continue on Verne Smith Parkway (Highway 80) and enter the Inland Port at GSP Logistics Parkway. Internal traffic will maneuver onto International Commerce Way. That road will bring trucks to the loading and unloading pads serviced by Norfolk Southern Railroad. There will not be any entry into the port from Highway 290.
“Trucks will be coming from multiple directions – Hwy. 29, 101 and I-85 – into the port,” Ellenburg said.
Ed Driggers, Greer City Administrator, said, “There will external and internal signage” to guide trucks from going through town. “Trucks will be prohibited from going through downtown.”
Ellenburg gave a glimpse of how much has been done since March 3 and some of what remains in the next two months.
• 20,000 linear feet of rails are on site. Crossties are now being laid.
• 180,000 square yards of concrete will have been poured when the site is completed.
• 3 rubber-tiered gantry cranes in Charleston will be taken down and reassembled in Greer. They will be switched from diesel to electric. 4.7 miles of conduit have been laid.
• 750,000 cubic yards of 1 million have been moved and redistributed throughout the site.
Entities at the Cannon Centre were:
• South Carolina Port Authority
• Norfolk Southern
• S.C. Department of Transportation
• City of Greer
• Greer Commission of Public Works