Carolina Connector groundbreaking ceremony held
Written by Andrew CorselliRepresentatives from the N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT), CSX Corp. and the Carolinas Gateway Partnership recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Carolina Connector (CCX) intermodal transportation facility.
The 330-acre site—located in Edgecombe County, N.C.—plans to allow trucks to bring cargo containers to a rail yard where they’ll be transferred to trains for transport. The facility aims to serve myriad “industries with efficient access to rail, helping get products to customers and spur growth in the region.”
It will be built on the CSX mainline, and CSX will run it. NCDOT is investing up to $118.1 million for site development and roadway construction. NCDOT said it conducted an economic impact evaluation last year and determined the facility will have an estimated indirect job impact of up to 1,300 jobs.
Construction should take 18 to 20 months, with an estimated completion date of late 2020, according to NCDOT.
“More than 5 million people live within 120 miles of this terminal,” said NCDOT Secretary Jim Trogdon. “The Carolina Connector will spur business development, divert thousands of trucks off highways and provide much-needed jobs in this fast-growing region.”
“The CCX Carolina Connector is a welcome addition to the businesses locating in Rocky Mount and Edgecombe County,” said Norris Tolson, CEO, President, Carolinas Gateway Partnership. “This multimodal hub is a great win for all this area as it adds a tax base to our books, jobs to our communities and opportunities for our future. It is truly a game changer for all of North Carolina, especially eastern North Carolina.”
