Lowndes County PA
Lowndes County PA and SDI are preparing to construct a rail spur with approximately 10,000 linear feet of track to connect the Lowndes County West Bank Port along the Tenn-Tom Waterway in Columbus, Miss., to an existing rail line operated by Canadian Pacific Kansas City, The Commercial Dispatch reported Nov. 4. The project will allow SDI to use 35 railcars to move scrap metal from the Port to its steel mill, which is west of Columbus and adjacent to the Golden Triangle Regional Airport, according to the newspaper.
The project is being funded by a $6.1 million grant from the Maritime Administration’s Port Infrastructure Development Program and an $8 million investment from SDI, the newspaper said. It recently received environmental clearance, and final designs could be completed as early as the end of the year, with construction beginning next year and wrapping up by the end of 2027, according to the newspaper.
“Port Director Will Sanders said the project will be a benefit to SDI and to the community because of the increased efficiency it will bring to scrap hauling at the port,” The Commercial Dispatch reported. “‘It’s very important,’ Sanders said. ‘… It’s going to create more jobs, it’s going to increase the tonnage and increase revenue for the port. So all in all, it’s good for the community.’”
According to SDI Transportation Manager Bryant Miller, the port currently unloads approximately 600,000 tons of scrap metal from barge to truck each year for delivery to the mill, the newspaper said; the rail spur is slated to boost that number to between 800,000 tons to more than 1 million tons annually, according to Miller.
The project “won’t completely eliminate truck traffic just because of a couple logistics reasons on plant sites,” Miller said, according to the newspaper, but it’s expected to scale back that traffic.
SC Ports
SC Ports President and CEO Micah Mallace recently detailed “his pledge for aggressive growth” to 1,100 port customers and stakeholders during his first State of the Port address, according to SC Ports, which is served by Norfolk Southern and CSX.
“We are exceptionally fortunate to be in a position where our Port’s terminals run exceedingly well and our infrastructure offers ample capacity for the foreseeable future,” said Mallace, who took on the leadership role last month. “With these pieces in place, we enjoy the latitude to focus on growth in the immediate term.”
Due to investment, SC Ports said, the Port of Charleston “enjoys the deepest harbor on the U.S. East Coast, has secured a path to 10 million TEUs at its marine terminals, and has invested to ensure its rail capabilities match the growth occurring in South Carolina and throughout the Southeast.”
According to SC Ports, companies invested $8.19 billion in new and existing businesses in South Carolina over the past year. Of that, Port customers invested more than $786 million into new and expanding manufacturing facilities and distribution centers, adding 1,200 jobs and bringing new volume to the Port’s inland and ocean terminals.
Ocean carriers also showed “a vote of confidence” in SC Ports’ capabilities within the Southeast market, SC Ports said. The Port of Charleston grew its weekly services to 29 in 2025, including first-in-calls from key markets in Asia and Europe, and expanding coverage of the growing India market to six weekly services.
“SC Ports outpaces the U.S. market and other South Atlantic ports for growth in the Northeast Asia-US trade lane,” SC Ports reported. “Post-Covid, the Port of Charleston’s volume has increased by 9% in this trade lane, compared to a decline of 2% at other regional ports.”
Despite the strength of Southeast market, it said, challenges persist; SC Ports saw “tempered container volumes and stable growth in its 2025 fiscal year.”
“As the three-year freight recession persists, spot rates are down, and volatility becomes the new normal, the port market will continue to have to operate in a challenging environment,” Mallace told State of the Port attendees. “We see the same challenges as our competitors, but we are not satisfied with 3% year-over-year growth in the container segment. There is work to be done, but there is also opportunity and cause for optimism. … SC Ports was the fastest growing U.S. container port for nearly a decade. We have done this before, and we can achieve it again. Generating growth necessitates a momentum change, and momentum change requires bold initiatives. This is a region where one can engineer above-market growth, and that is exactly what we intend to do.”
Mallace said a multi-year effort includes plans to use SC Ports’ real estate to facilitate growth projects for businesses, help to back projects with partners who generate growth, focus on revenue-generating infrastructure, and offer creative solutions and white-glove service to BCOs, according to SC Ports. He also told shippers that SC Ports’ “customer-centered approach” extends beyond its terminals.
“We are here to help you solve your issues—whether its cost savings, improved cargo visibility, or tucking away inventory.” Mallace said. “Bring your challenges, hardest supply chains and most demanding freight to SC Ports. We will provide a consultive approach.”
Separately, SC Ports on Oct. 16 reported ending the first quarter of fiscal year 2026 with “steady container volumes and strong year-over-year growth for both inland ports and vehicle volumes.”
