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Last Wednesday, March 1, marked the opening on the Virginia Inland Port, located north of Front Royal.
The $10 million inland facility will become the commonwealth’s sixth cargo facility operated by the Virginia Port Authority. Part of an overall broad strategy by Virginia to increase cargo tonnage moving through Virginia's ports, the VIP has been hailed since its inception as one of the most progressive projects undertaken by the state. The inland port will provide access to Virginia’s marine terminals in Hampton Roads 220 miles inland, in the Shenandoah Valley of Warren County.
In announcing the port’s start-up, Gov. Gerald L. Baliles said, "The Virginia Inland Port enables us to increase import and export cargo through the stateowned terminals in Hampton Roads from markets in Northern Virginia and the Ohio Valley region. We will now be able to reach these new markets and customers who are not presently using our ports.
“These industrial markets in New York, Delaware, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia will now be able to gain easy and economic access to the technology, service and load center status of the Ports of Virginia.” he added.
The new inland facility in Front Royal is strategically located on U.S. 240, a four-lane highway, within a short distance from the major intersection of U.S. interstates 81 and Oti.
It is expected to add substantial cargo tonnage to the already growing cargo tonnage base at the Ports of Virginia. The intermodal facility will attract truck traffic from the surrounding region and transfer that cargo to rail for transport between the inland port and the marine terminals in Hampton Roads via a dedicated Norfolk Southern train.
Gov. Baliles continued, “Virginia’s worldwide marketing connection through the Ports of Virginia touches many aspects of our economy, and we are confident that the VIP will continue to stimulate growth and new op
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