Neighbors raise safety concerns about trains, trucks coming with inland port

GAINESVILLE, Ga. — Homeowners are concerned that trains, trucks and cranes coming with a new inland port will put their safety at risk.

But homeowners living along Lake Lanier near White Sulphur Road tell Channel 2 Action News they fear the charm in their community will go from quietness to loud trucks and trains.

“The reason why we moved here was to get close to nature,” said homeowner Bonnie Bright.

They say they have concerns about the Georgia Ports Authority approved $46.6 million plan to build an inland port right outside their neighborhood.

Homeowner Darrell Riveiro told Channel 2 investigative reporter Ashli Lincoln that word is starting to spread around the community about the project.

“I think now people are starting to understand, that this is going to be a reality,” Riveiro said.

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Homeowners say they have several concerns with this project. First, there are environmental issues involving pollution.

“We are going to get more trucks than we normally do,” Bright said.

Residents also have concerns with the sound coming from trucks and trains.

“It’s going to be extremely active,” Riveiro said.

Homeowners also fear being closed off from the quickest route to downtown Gainesville, White Sulfur Road, after learning it will be permanently closed because of this project.

The Georgia Ports Authority told Channel 2 Action News, the inland port in their community will be on a much smaller scale compared to the Port of Savannah.

“The last thing we want to do is upset the people of Georgia,” said Griff Lynch, the Executive Director of the Georgia Ports Authority.

He said the disruptions will be minimal.

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“These trains that arrive at the facility, will be approximately 3,000 feet long. So, they’re not full trains,” he said.

Lynch said the cranes will also be fully electric to keep the noise produced down.

The first rail hub was completed in 2018 in Murry County. A terminal in Troup County will follow the Gainesville location.

“One of the thoughts is, if we can put it on the rail, it’d be great not only from a sustainability standpoint but taking trucks off the road that are going through fairly congested areas in Georgia,” Lynch said.

Currently, goods being shipped into and from the Port of Savannah get hauled across the state on 18-wheelers.

Lynch said having three inland ports will alleviate the distance tractor-trailers will have to travel by only going to these hubs, rather than traveling across the state to Savannah.

“It would handle about 10,000 containers of the let’s call it 60,000 containers that will be handled a year,” Lynch said.

He said that number could grow to 200,000 containers a year.

Lynch said the Ports Authority selected Gainesville because of the Kubota manufacturing facility. Kubota is an agriculture machinery company Lynch said is one of the Ports’ top customers.

“The volume that will use this terminal already exists. So, we don’t look at it as bringing trucks to the area,” he said.

Lynch said there will be eight tracks inside the hub. Hall County said it plans to reroute White Sulphur Road a mile south, so homeowners can get downtown.

“We put forward about $5 million to help redirect White Sulfur,” Lynch said.

The project is expected to be completed in 2026.

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