$100M Rail Terminal in Montgomery; less CMV on the Interstate?

An easier and cheaper alternative is to have dedicated truck lanes, separated by medians.

Depends on what we are comparing it to. The OP listed $100 million just for a terminal.

This will increase truck traffic around Montgomery. By A lot.

“The last mile” challenge really needs to be figured out. A unit train of 100+ shipping containers from point A to B is 100 less CMVs on the interstate, until the “last mile.”

The trucking industry is getting exposed right now and it’s a result of today’s society expecting items delivered the next day. That’s another topic though.

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“The last mile” challenge really needs to be figured out. A unit train of 100+ shipping containers from point A to B is 100 less CMVs on the interstate, until the “last mile.”

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I wish Houma wouldn't have abandoned its rail line from Schriever to East Houma back in the 1990's. They physically removed the rail line and eventually took down the rail bridge that crossed the Intracoastal and moved it to Texas I believe.

There is even a rail spur in Lafourche Parish that goes from Raceland to Valentine, but it is some what abandoned. The track is still there but no one uses it as Valentine Paper mill is no more, and it is just the chemical plant that would still have any use for it. I find it funny Bollinger doesn't use the rail line for shipments at the Lockport yard since the yard goes almost to the tracks.

A rail line would really need to be built to access Port Fourchon, but the number of water crossing bridges needed for construction would make the project unaffordable.

It will help with traffic on 65 between Mobile and Montgomery, but that's about it. Eventually 85 is going to have to be widened to 3 lanes each way between Mobile and the AL/GA line or, ideally, the Kia plant. Until then trucks servicing Kia are going to keep 85 super busy.

Georgia just built a new intermodal yard in Hall County Northeast of Atlanta that connects to Savannah (and maybe Brunswick) so the ports can ship containers there without having to truck through Atlanta. State DOT is also building truck only lanes on 75 between Atlanta and Macon. I think the state has finally realized that they have to shift commercial traffic out of Atlanta when possible.

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I think the state has finally realized that they have to shift commercial traffic out of Atlanta when possible.

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real genius idea to have three major interstates meet in one spot in the middle of a major city. Excellent foresight.

If they were to build a U-shaped bypass from 75 between Chattanooga and Atlanta, have it go south to 20 but west of the loop, down to 85, then cut back across to 75, you'd solve a solid chunk of the truck traffic in that city. Have it cut back up to 20 then 85 to the east of town and 99% of truckers would take that bypass instead of the loop.

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If they were to build a U-shaped bypass from 75 between Chattanooga and Atlanta, have it go south to 20 but west of the loop, down to 85, then cut back across to 75, you'd solve a solid chunk of the truck traffic in that city. Have it cut back up to 20 then 85 to the east of town and 99% of truckers would take that bypass instead of the loop.

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What you are describing is what was called the "outer loop" or "outer perimeter" in the 90s/early 2000s.

A bunch of NIMBYs who lived out in the country pitched a fit because they didn't want an interstate level highway in their area and it never got off the ground. By now the land would be way too expensive to buy up to build it.