Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said his state has been awarded three grants totaling $73 million for transportation infrastructure upgrades.
The funding will support increases to designated truck parking spaces at rest areas, a project replacing the historic Singing Bridge in downtown Frankfort and an expansion of Paducah’s main riverport. The federal funding is from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Beshear thanked the state’s Congressional delegation for their support in securing the funding.
“Through these grants, we’re supporting our Kentucky families, businesses and communities by investing in safe, efficient and reliable infrastructure that moves our commonwealth forward,” Beshear. “From the Singing Bridge to Paducah’s riverport and rest areas across our state, this $73 million is going toward important projects that will make a difference. I want to thank our Kentucky delegation and everyone who played a part in helping us secure this funding.”
A $25 million BUILD grant awarded to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will nearly double the number of truck parking spaces in seven rest areas along four freight corridors – I-64, I-65, I-71 and I-75. The spaces will address limited capacity at the rest areas and provide commercial drivers with safer truck parking options. Truck parking was identified as a national priority and was recognized as a vital issue in Kentucky’s 2022 Truck Parking Assessment and Action Plan. The project includes expanded and upgraded parking, new or enhanced Truck Parking Information System (TPIMS) at each site, and construction of new restroom facilities at the southbound I-75 site.
The state also was awarded a $24 million BUILD grant, to support the replacement of Frankfort’s Singing Bridge on U.S. Highway 60 crossing the Kentucky River. The 130-year-old structure was closed in 2024 after an engineering analysis and testing determined it was unsafe. Prior to its closure, about 4,000 vehicles a day used the bridge, but emergency vehicles, transit and other heavy vehicles were prohibited from crossing it due to weight restrictions.
The third BUILD grant, for $24 million, was awarded to the Paducah-McCracken County Riverport Authority to expand the main public port in Paducah, at the confluence of the Ohio and Tennessee rivers. The new port, Riverport West, will serve as an extension of the main public port.