Georgia will use $2 million in federal money to help with the construction of a new inland port.

The Northeast Georgia Inland Port in Hall County will have a direct link to the Port of Savannah, expanding its operations. The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration provided the grant. It is expected to create nearly 700 jobs and generate $185 million in private investment, officials said.

“When we invest in our infrastructure, we help bolster our state’s economy and create local jobs, benefiting Georgia’s workers and families,” U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock said. “I am proud to see these funds go to Hall County and will keep fighting for additional federal investments that will help strengthen our transportation infrastructure and manufacturing capacity in northeast Georgia.”

The $2 million grant will be used for the road and infrastructure improvements needed to build the port in northeast Georgia.

Georgia’s deepwater ports and inland terminals support nearly 500,000 jobs statewide each year and contribute $29 billion in income. They contribute $122 billion in sales and $3.4 billion in state and local taxes to Georgia’s economy, according to Port of Savannah’s website.

In fiscal year 2020, the Port of Savannah moved 21.6% of the East Coast’s container trade and 12.2% of all U.S. containerized exports.

U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff said he has commitments from U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget Shalanda Young to find funding to support the completion of the Port of Savannah deepening project.

The deepening project would allow larger container vessels to enter and leave the harbor with more cargo aboard. According to a Corps of Engineers feasibility study, the project could save U.S. producers and retailers $282 million per year in transportation expenses.

The federal government and the state of Georgia share the cost of the deepening project. Georgia Ports Authority has spent $205 million on the expansion project this year. About $130.3 million in federal money was set aside for the project in fiscal year 2020.

“As promised, we are delivering resources to create Georgia jobs by upgrading our infrastructure and expanding Georgia’s ports,” Ossoff said.

This article was originally posted on Georgia lands $2M for new inland port