Daviess County has received a federal grant that will be used to upgrade access to the Owensboro Riverport and improve safety for local residents.
The $11.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation will be used to widen a portion of Industrial Road, which is Kentucky 331, leading to the Owensboro Riverport.
In announcing the grant, Owensboro Riverport Authority President Brian Wright said Industrial Road has up to 5,000 vehicles a day, and nearly half of those are tractor-trailers, each hauling about 20 tons.
Congressman Brett Guthrie said the grant to widen about 2.5 miles of Kentucky 331 between 2nd and 4th streets and the Riverport, and to reconstruct the CSX railroad crossing, will benefit businesses and residents in that area. The road is home to more than a dozen industries along the way, as well as some residential properties.
The upgrade will also benefit Metalsa, a company that manufactures automotive frames. The Riverport has upgraded a rail loop that will be used by Metalsa to haul more products next year, as the result of a $37 million expansion.
- © 2018 WKU Public Radio
