We in Georgia are fortunate to have a wide variety of economic engines that help drive our success. Some of these include Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the Georgia World Congress Center, Center for Disease Control, the Georgia University System, many Fortune 500 companies, and our small businesses with that innovative entrepreneurial spirit unique to the Peach state.

Add to that impressive list The Port of Savannah, which is the fourth busiest port in the United States. Future projections say the port will triple its current volume by 2015. What is at the epicenter of this mammoth port growth? The Panama Canal -- which is currently being deepened and widened -- will soon allow massive supertankers to get through the channel quicker, thus making the Port of Savannah an economically viable port of entry to the U.S. from the west. Plans are now under way to dredge the Savannah River six feet to accommodate these large supertankers. This will soon prove to be quite a boon for the Georgia economy.

HOW DOES THIS AFFECT YOU?  

Currently, only 20 percent of the freight that leaves the Port of Savannah is a destination point for Atlanta. Because our state lacks a freight corridor or bypass, the other 80 percent of the freight rumbles on big trucks through Atlanta on their way to another destination. So if the truck volume triples by 2015 too -- from the port -- I-285 and our expressways will be dominated by 18-wheelers. I believe we already have too many big rigs coming thru metro Atlanta as it is: the thought of increasing that by 300 percent is frightening, to say the least.

BUILD IT – AND THEY WILL PAY FOR IT

We must prepare for this by building freight dominated highway corridors that bypass the metro area and increase the use of heavy rail lines to move our freight through the region. If we create intelligent freight corridors and increase our rail capacity we will significantly reduce truck traffic throughout the region. Then the only rigs that will be in the metro area are those making deliveries.

Even better, these new thoroughfares and rail lines can be financed by private business partnerships through a toll-way system. Those that use the new roads and railways will gladly pay for the privilege, to save precious time and fuel. This new system will not only accommodate the new port driven freight traffic, they'll actually reduce the current traffic load we carry now through metro Atlanta.

Naturally, this will not happen without careful planning and effective leadership. That's where the Georgia Department of Transportation comes in. I can assure you that GDOT is working diligently on this in its ongoing effort to reduce traffic thru our most congested areas.

If you have questions, comments or suggestions please contact me: brandonlbeach@aol.com.