Governor Andy Beshear announced Thursday afternoon the Eddyville Riverport and Industrial Development Authority was awarded a grant of $48,415 for critical safety improvements.
The governor says the award will fund half of the project cost to install a guardrail along the access ramps that lead to a grain unloading pit. He adds the guardrail will be backfilled with stone to increase safety and efficiency for Riverport employees.
Governor Beshear says our Kentucky riverports play a unique and prominent role in our transportation system. He adds that like other infrastructure, they need to be well-maintained through projects such as these to keep people safe and operations running smoothly.
According to Beshear, the Eddyville Riverport and Industrial Development Authority will match the state’s funding to complete the $96,830 project. In September, the Authority was awarded $109,890 toward the repair of erosion of banks that support a boat lift near a boat repair bay. Officials say that project involved the driving of sheet piling along the bank, backfilling with embankment material, and capping with rock.
The 2020 Kentucky General Assembly appropriated the funding for the grants, and riverports applied to the Water Transportation Advisory Board for the grants.
The grant will be administered by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. The state’s Transportation Cabinet Secretary Jim Gray says Kentucky’s waterways and riverports are as indispensable as air, rail, and highway for the movement of cargo and bulk commodities. He adds they create high-wage jobs, support our economy and help keep Kentucky competitive.
