Kentucky development board receives safety grant

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The Kentucky General Assembly recently awarded a $48,415 grant to the Eddyville Riverport and Industrial Development Authority for critical safety improvements.

Funding will go toward the cost of installing guardrails along the access ramps that lead to a grain unloading pit. The area will then be backfilled with stone to increase safety and efficiency for Riverport employees.

The project will cost $96,830, and the development authority will match the state’s funding.

“Our waterways and river ports are as indispensable as air, rail, and highway for the movement of cargo and bulk commodities,” Kentucky Transportation Secretary Jim Gray said. “They create high-wage jobs, support our economy, and help keep Kentucky competitive.”

In 2020, the General Assembly appropriated the funding for the grants. River ports applied to the Water Transportation Advisory Board for funding. The board recommended river ports for grants, and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet administered the funding.

The Eddyville Riverport and Industrial Development Authority also received a $109,890 grant in September. Funding was used to repair the erosion of banks that support a boat lift near a boat repair bay. Workers drove sheet piling along the bank, backfilled the area with embankment material, and capped it with rock.