Liberty County’s Tradeport East Business Center is expected to benefit from a $46 million expansion of Atlanta Gas Light Company’s Strategic Infrastructure Development and Enhancement customer-growth program.
Funding for the STRIDE project, which aims to expand the natural-gas system into underserved communities statewide, unanimously was approved Dec. 12 by the Public Service Commission.  
A 9.8-mile high-pressure gas line to serve Tradeport East will be the first of several expansion projects during the next several years, according to the company.
Liberty County Development Authority CEO Ron Tolley said the PSC action will help to fill a need for long-term development of the park.
“We are pleased to hear that our project has been approved and is the first slated for construction, and we appreciate the support from the Public Service Commission and Atlanta Gas Light for industrial growth within Liberty County,” Tolley said. “We feel this utility expansion will make us more competitive in attracting jobs and investments.”
The gas line will join another recent investment in utilities for Tradeport East. The Georgia Transmission Corporation this year put in a 115-kilovolt transmission line between Bryan and Liberty counties that placed Tradeport East on a radial feed to increase service reliability for industrial tenants.
Tradeport East last month welcomed its fourth tenant, Pactra International Co., which will distribute Hankook tires throughout 10 Southeastern states.
The park also is home to a Target regional distribution center, a Tire Rack distribution center and Firth Rixson Forgings, a United Kingdom-based company that forges metal products for the aerospace industry.