The N.C. Department of Transportation, CSX Corp. and Carolinas Gateway Partnership have broken ground for the Carolina Connector (CCX) intermodal transportation facility in Edgecombe County.
The 330-acre site will allow trucks to bring cargo containers to a rail yard where they will be transferred to trains for transport. The facility will serve many industries with efficient access to rail.
The facility will be built on the CSX mainline and CSX will run it. The NCDOT is investing up to $118.1 million for site development and roadway construction. The agency 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 is expected to take 18-20 months, with an estimated completion date of late 2020.
“This intermodal facility will positively impact Eastern North Carolina and our state as a whole,” Governor Roy Cooper stated. “CCX will not only bring good paying jobs to our rural areas, but also connect the region to both domestic and international markets.”