Published: February 08, 2010 10:47 am      

Could city become ’inland port?’

CORDELE, Ga. (AP) — South Georgia officials are awaiting word on federal funding that could transform Cordele into an “inland port� that could handle thousands of massive containers each year.

The Macon Telegraph reports Monday that the financing for the plan largely depends on a pair of federal grants that would total more than $46 million. One portion would refurbish the rail line linking the south Georgia town with Savannah while the other would help cover land acquisition and construction costs.

Town officials hope to buy the property within months.

Under the plan, westbound cargo from Savannah’s port would be shipped to Cordele on trains. Workers in Cordele would then load the cargo onto trucks bound for the Gulf Coast and beyond.