$30 Million Road Project To Benefit Owensboro Riverport

Local and state officials broke ground August 3 on a $30 million road project designed to benefit the Owensboro Riverport Authority and its neighbors by improving traffic flow and increasing safety for those in and around the port.

The Owensboro Riverport Kentucky Highway 331 Improvement Project includes widening Ky. 331 as well as the port-owned Rinaldo Road.

The improvements are the first major upgrades to Ky. 331 since the port was established in 1976. It has since become Kentucky’s largest publicly owned inland port, according to information provided from Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear’s office.

The port is also poised to continue to grow, with 50 developable acres and about 1,500 linear feet of river frontage available to develop in its existing rail loop properties, Owensboro Riverport Authority Executive Director Brian Wright said.

“When that road was originally built, it was built really as a residential road with 11-foot lanes and not set up for industrial [use],” Wright said of Ky. 331.

Additionally, a sharp, 90-degree turn impaired the line of sight, and eight duplexes with 16 driveways required residents to back out onto the highway, where truck traffic had become heavier over the years.

The opportunity to complete the work came after the riverport was awarded a Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant from the Maritime Administration in 2018. The grant provided $11.52 million and required a local match of $3.2 million. However, before the project could be undertaken, it took time to work through permitting and environmental issues and for right-of-way acquisition. Over that time, inflation increased the project cost significantly, but the port was able to collaborate with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to increase the required local match so that the project could take place.

The improvements will widen the 2 miles of Ky. 331 between the U.S. 60 interchange and the riverport, eliminating the sharp turn and adding a center turn lane in the congested southern industry strip. Rinaldo Road, which serves as the northernmost entry into the riverport, will be widened to three lanes—two inbound lanes and one exit lane—from Kentucky 331 to the rail loadout.

“It will greatly enhance the efficiency of trucks coming in and out of the port,” Wright said.

As part of the project, utilities had to be relocated, and a new, 12-inch water line that will feed the port is being enhanced.

The CSX railroad crossing will also be widened to three lanes and will receive safety gates for the first time, along with new lighting. The roads will be built to Kentucky standards for industrial use.

The entire project is designed to both ease congestion and support regional economic growth.

“Today’s announcement brings the opportunity for more economic growth in this region and increases safety and traffic flow for people living around and traveling by the Owensboro Riverport,” Beshear said at the ground-breaking. “Across the commonwealth, we are securing infrastructure updates that have only been talked about for decades, and I want to thank folks at the Owensboro Riverport for their partnership in getting this massive project off the ground.”

Envision Contractors LLC of Owensboro was awarded the $20.7 million construction contract in July. American Engineering Incorporated has been hired as the professional service managing all construction. The business is headquartered in Glasgow, Ky., but it has offices at multiple locations across the state, including in Owensboro.

The target date for completion of the project is September 2025.

“The Owensboro Riverport is one of our prize economic development tools,” Owensboro Mayor Tom Watson said, adding that the project will contribute to the safety of the entire area.

“Safety on our streets and roads, together with economic development and job creation, have consistently been among the highest priorities of Gov. Beshear and this administration,” Kentucky Transportation Secretary Jim Gray said at the ground-breaking. “Both priorities intersect in this project at the Owensboro Riverport.”

Caption for photo: Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (fifth from left) joins state and local officials at a groundbreaking ceremony for the Owensboro Riverport Kentucky Highway 331 Improvement Project on August 3. (photo courtesy of the Owensboro Riverport Authority)