Brunswick on track to be top U.S. auto and RoRo port
The Port of Brunswick is poised to become the top auto and machinery port in the U.S., with 264 acres of land for development according to Georgia Ports Authority President and CEO Griff Lynch.
In fiscal year 2023, Colonel’s Island Terminal in Brunswick grew Ro/Ro volumes by 18 percent, to more than 705,000 units of autos and heavy machinery, moving both into and out of the port. The Port of Brunswick served 610 vessel calls in FY2023, representing an increase of 11 percent over the year prior. Colonel’s Island handled 495 of those ships.
“Brunswick’s gateway port model features four on-site auto processors, room for customers to grow their business with three available parcels of land totaling 264 acres and direct access to Interstate 95 for car carrier and machinery trucks. With on-terminal rail, Brunswick offers the fastest East Coast rail connections to inland markets.” The port also features a new fumigation facility onsite which is the largest facility of its size for autos and machinery.
To accommodate growing volumes, the Port of Brunswick is undergoing improvements totaling more than $262 million. Construction has recently been completed on 350,000 square feet of near-dock warehousing that serves auto and machinery processing on the north side of Colonel’s Island Terminal. Three additional buildings representing 290,000 square feet and 122 acres of Roll-on/Roll-off cargo storage space are under construction on the south side of the island.
GPA has also won Federal approval for a fourth Ro/Ro berth at Colonel’s Island, to enable more vessel calls. Currently in the engineering phase, this project will more efficiently accommodate vessels that can carry up to 7,000 vehicles.
A planned new railyard on the Southside of Colonel’s Island will enter the construction phase next year. This rail capacity improvement will extend Brunswick’s reach deeper into interior markets to capture more business.
Federally funded maintenance dredging is ongoing in the Brunswick River shipping channel. Additionally, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is awaiting funding for a project to enhance the efficiency of vessel transit by widening the channel and expansion of the turning basin at Colonel’s Island.
Georgia’s ports and inland terminals support more than 561,000 jobs throughout the state annually. GPA is investing in future supply chain requirements with a $1.9 billion port master plan and a $6 million workforce housing initiative. The Ports of Savannah and Brunswick benefit from an extensive supply chain ecosystem of business partners located near the port which perform essential functions in the logistics chain.
