Transportation Capabilities
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Chester County is ideally situated on the Interstate 77 Corridor 30 miles south of the Charlotte Metropolitan Area and 45 miles north of the Columbia Metropolitan Area. In addition, Chester County is a 45 minute drive from Interstate 85 (North-South); 45 minutes from Interstate 26 (East-West); 1 hour from Interstate 40 (East-West) and 2 hours from Interstate 95 (North-South). South Carolina Highway 9 is currently undergoing major improvements including total divided four-lane access from Interstate 77 to near the Chester City limits. While South Carolina is 40th in size nationally, it has the 5th largest state maintained road system (a total of over 42,000 miles) and is crisscrossed by five strategic interstates (I-20, I-26, I-77, I-85, and I-95). The location and intersection of these interstates, combined with South Carolina's state highways, provide efficient access to the state's ports and over half of the nation's fastest growing metropolitan statistical areas. One measure of the commitment and success of South Carolina's road system is the fact that the University of North Carolina (Charlotte) rated South Carolina's Department of Transportation first or second as the most efficient system in the nation for the last four years. A second measure of our commitment is the state's launch of an unprecedented $5 billion investment over the next several years -- this investment will more than double current road/highway construction and improvements.
Chester County's convenient access to I-77 (running through the county north-south), I-85 (45 minutes north), I-40 (less than 1.5 hours north), I-20 (1 hour south), I-95 (2 hours south) and I-26 (1 hour south) make the County an excellent location for both manufacturing and distribution companies. Chester County is blessed with outstanding rail lines that have the capability to ship all across North America. CSX, Norfolk-Southern and short line carrier Lancaster and Chester Railway (L&C) combine to offer new and existing companies outstanding rail sites and advantages in transporting goods and/or supplies With the recent completion of the merger of Conrail's northeast rail system into both CSX and Norfolk-Southern rail systems, both companies offer daily, double-stack train express services (inbound and outbound) that provide customers efficient access to the market gateways in the Northeast, Midwest, Canada, and Mexico, while eliminating costly double handling of goods. Also, in effort to meet the growing intermodal demands of industry, CSX and Norfolk-Southern offer specialized transloading service in Charleston that handles high volume and heavy-duty goods.
The L&C Railway is a privately owned, well-capitalized, financially strong, short line railroad based in Lancaster, South Carolina. L&C serves Chester County and the entire Charlotte Region. The railway provides customized, competitive rail freight service for its customers and connects them to the national rail network with both CSX and Norfolk Southern. With over 100 years of continuous rail operations, the L&C Railway provides Chester County and the Charlotte Region with a strong transportation ally for industrial growth. The L&C has successfully recruited such major companies as ADM, Allvac, Dow Chemical, Ameristeel, GAF, Guardian Industries, Owens Corning, PPG, Springs Industries, and Thyssen-Krupp Steel. The Railroad has over 3,000 acres of industrially zoned property with major parcels of over 1,400 acres located on I-77 between two (2) interchanges (Route 9 and Route 56). Click here for more information about L&C Railway industrial sites and parks. L&C is one of fifteen corporations owned and controlled by The Springs / Close Family, the largest of which is textile giant, Springs Industries. The Port of Charleston presents companies with an excellent opportunity to expand their global markets in partnership with one of the US' strongest port operations. Chester County is located less than 3 hours from the Port of Charleston via Interstate 77 South and Interstate 26 east. Charleston is one of three deep water seaports operated by the South Carolina Ports Authority -- the others being Georgetown and Port Royal. The Port of Charleston, which is served by over 50 steamship companies that call in more than 140 countries, is only second in combined tonnage to the ports of New York and New Jersey. The port continues to chart a course as a leader in marine transport, and the success s attributed to a number of factors. One of the most important factors is the port's close relationship with companies, which fosters a profound understanding of industry requirements. As a result, over 1,000 South Carolina companies ship products through the Port of Charleston. Another measurement of success is the port's fully automated customs, providing a real time cargo expediting and clearance system. This system provides a competitive and economic advantage as U.S. Customs, other government agencies, freight forwarders, customs brokers, steamship lines and agents, inland carriers, shippers, consignees, and port personnel are seamlessly linked through this electronic network. The system substantially reduces customs delays, processing time, and paperwork. In fact, most container cargo is cleared by Customs days in advance and 90% is cleared within only two hours. Also, 85% of all breakbulk cargo is cleared within 24 hours -- this is a tremendous savings in time and expense. The port's three separate terminals also offer the fastest time to open sea of any East Coast port, ensuring high speed service to markets and facilities. During the past four years, the Port of Charleston has invested more than $150 million on expansion, renovation and technological enhancements. As a commitment to the future, the port is also pursuing the development of a new terminal at Daniel Island that will handle the world's largest container ships, up to 305 meters (1,000 feet) in length.
Foreign Trade Zones Complementing South Carolina's world-class transportation system are three strategically located Foreign Trade Zones: Foreign Trade Zone 21 operates six sites in the Charleston area; Foreign Trade Zone 38 is located adjacent to the Greenville-Spartanburg Jetport; and Foreign Trade Zone 127 is located adjacent to the Columbia Metropolitan Airport. These zones offer substantial cost-saving advantages for companies who import or export manufactured raw materials or products. Some of the benefits of these zones include:
Charlotte
Douglas International Airport Charlotte-Douglas International is serviced by 12 major air carriers which offer more than 500 daily flights to all major U.S. cities. The airport also offers direct flights internationally to Toronto, Mexico, Frankfurt, London, and Paris. The facility serves as a hub airport for major carrier USAirways.
In addition to passenger service, Charlotte-Douglas International Airport is also a major center for air cargo with all of the major air freight carriers in operation at the airport including FedEx, UPS, Emory Worldwide and DHS. Chester County Airport |
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