Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced four riverports in his state will receive $500,000 in grant funding to help with needed infrastructure and equipment upgrades.
The grants were awarded for six separate projects at four riverports, the governor’s office said, and will improve operations and access. Funding for the grants was approved by the legislature and must be matched locally, the office said.
“An efficient transportation system in all its modes – highway, air, rail and water – is essential to our economy and standard of living,” Gov. Beshear said. “Our Kentucky riverports play a unique role in that system. We’re pleased to be able to support these strategic investments.”
The awards were based on recommendations of the Kentucky Water Transportation Advisory Board, Transportation Secretary Jim Gray said.
“The grants will help these riverports meet a range of needs for both operations and capacity,” Gray said.
The grants included $184,061 for the Eddyville Riverport and Industrial Development Authority for the purchase of a CAT 330 excavator to provide redundancy for material loading and unloading, as well as three grants for the Owensboro Riverport Authority totaling more than $163,000 for the purchase of new forklifts and a track loader for handling material.
“State investment is beyond critical to the preservation of all public ports across the Commonwealth to provide efficient and cost-effective multimodal access to our thriving Industries,” Brian Wright, Owensboro Riverport Authority president, said. “The Owensboro Riverport Authority serves the growing aluminum industry in Kentucky by handling over 500,000 short tons of aluminum annually. These state funds will provide a portion of the necessary dollars needed to replace aging handling equipment utilized daily to promote our mission of multimodal optimization across the state. Riverports are essential to Kentucky’s economic development success.”