Charleston Sees Strong Growth, Moves Ahead on Inland Port

Port of Charleston container traffic was up nearly 12 percent in November, the South Carolina Ports Authority said. The port handled 125,780 20-foot-equivalent units (TEUs), an 11.9 percent increase from the same month last year, for a more than 9 percent increase during the calendar year to date, it said. The figures "are slightly off of aggressive projections set for the year thus far [but] Charleston continues to grow at a much faster rate than competing ports," said SCPA President Jim Newsome. Breakbulk tonnage also showed strong gains for the month, with non-containerized volume increasing nearly 24 percent in November, it said, reaching 117,118 pier tons at its facilities in Charleston and Georgetown in November.

Meanwhile, the port authority board approved a resolution authorizing the SCPA to borrow funds not to exceed $30 million for the development, construction, operation and maintenance of the South Carolina Inland Port, which is in the planning stages. The facility will become an inland container yard served by Norfolk Southern and proximate to major port users across the Upstate and portions of neighboring states. The Board previously had approved engineering study work to begin the facility's design. It's expected to be fully operational by the fall of 2013.