Kentucky is sending $15.1 million to 15 riverport projects across the state, with some of the largest grants landing in Paducah, Hickman and Eddyville, including Hickman’s replacement of a 40-year-old conveyor and a storm-damaged warehouse rebuild in West Kentucky, along with added barge-staging capacity. Gov. Andy Beshear announced the investment Friday, describing it as a boost to freight capacity and economic activity tied to Kentucky’s waterways.
The money flows through the Kentucky Public Riverport Construction and Maintenance program, known as KPRCM, which funds equipment upgrades and replacement, warehouse and storage expansion, increased barge-staging capacity, and safety improvements at riverports statewide. “Our riverports play a key role in transporting goods across the commonwealth,” Beshear said, according to 14news.com. The program requires no local match from recipient authorities.
Hickman Has the Largest Single Award; Paducah’s Largest Is $1.25 Million
The Paducah McCracken County Riverport Authority is receiving roughly $2.2 million across four projects, including $1.25 million to build a 20,000-square-foot warehouse, $525,000 for a bulk-storage dome, $375,000 for a front-end loader and $100,000 for two forklifts, according to KFVS12. The Hickman Fulton County Riverport Authority is set to receive $2,687,746 to supplement previously awarded state and federal grant funds toward replacing a 40-year-old conveyor system meant to boost capacity, the station reported.
West Kentucky Regional Riverport Authority is getting $2 million to rebuild a 15,000-square-foot warehouse that was destroyed by a storm, per the same outlet’s reporting. Elsewhere in the state, the Greenup Boyd County Riverport Authority is receiving about $1.6 million for one project, Henderson County Riverport Authority about $2.6 million across three projects, and Owensboro Riverport Authority roughly $1.1 million spread across three projects.
Eddyville’s Two Awards
Two Eddyville grants total $2,708,526: $1,954,101 to supplement previously awarded federal grant funds for new seawall construction and $754,425 to supplement previously awarded state grant funds to build mooring dolphins.
KFVS12 lists a $1,661,875 award for a 10,000-square-foot warehouse and freight-staging facility under Greenup Boyd County Riverport Authority. It lists three awards under Henderson County Riverport Authority: $1,779,326 for a paved laydown yard, $525,875 for grain-belt loading and safety upgrades, and $319,729 for a front-end loader.
A Review Board and a Fifth Funding Round
Every grant project goes through the state’s Water Transportation Advisory Board, which reviews and recommends awards based on factors including safety, preservation, transportation and economic-development impact, according to 14news.com. Beshear said the latest round of investments “will help boost capacity and support good-paying jobs for our people for years to come,” the station reported.
This marks the fifth round of KPRCM funding, following a prior round announced in January 2026, the station noted. That earlier round delivered nearly $2.3 million across eight projects at six Kentucky public riverports, including more than $320,000 for Henderson County to replace a mobile conveyor system with an electric material handler, and two Owensboro Riverport Authority awards totaling more than $200,000 for a new yard tractor and forklift.
