GARDEN CITY, Kan. (KSNW) – Garden City’s transload facility is one step closer to reality.
After breaking ground Monday, they are a bit behind schedule.
The facility will be a hub to transfer goods from trucks and trains to the wider community.
“There was a little bit of a delay, but our plan is to work six days a week instead of the five we had planned,” said Jim Orr, president of Transportation Partners & Logistics.
It’s delayed by more than a month, but Orr still expects the project to be complete by December 1 as originally planned
Final approval came last Thursday, and Transportation Partners & Logistics quickly mobilized construction crews to get to work.
“We had to wait for our plans to be approved by KDOT,” said Lona DuVall, president of the Finney County Economic Development Corporation. “KDOT is a funding partner in the project, so we had to wait for them to accept those plans and say we could start working, so we’ll start this morning.”
The facility will help make Garden City a shipping hub. It’s where products are transferred between trucks and trains.
One big product that will pass through the facility is wind turbine parts.
But this also means an increase in truck traffic. They’re already common here, but residents can expect even more wide-load trucks driving around.
“Obviously, it’s going to increase traffic,” said DuVall, “that’s all there is to it, but that’s a good thing. That’s a positive economic generator.”
“The trucks are fueling at night,” said Orr. “They’re staying in hotels. They’re eating in our restaurants. It is cumbersome, and I understand that.”
Once completed, the facility itself should bring upwards of 25 jobs.
Local leaders say having the facility here will help to create many more jobs in the surrounding community.
The transload facility is expected to be operational by December 1.
