Story - The Meade County Messenger


Vol. 114, No. 34	August 15, 2007

Progress is being seen on the riverport front

By LARRY SEE JR.
Messenger Staff

The Sept. 4 meeting of the Meade County Riverport Authority should be busy, as reports and presentations will highlight the session’s agenda.

Riverport consultant Mike Flint said, as expected, the road construction bid is now going through the signature process at the Kentucky Department of Transportation.

“After all the signatures are done, then they will be issuing a notice to proceed,” Flint said. The riverport received $206,000 in funding from the Community Economic Growth Grant program to complete the 1.16-mile access road to the riverport. The completion will allow for necessary riverport access, helping to lay a foundation for continued economic development.

After the review is done, cost figures will be analyzed, and if necessary, updated, Flint said.

“Within the next 60 days we should have some preliminary numbers,” he said. “But I think quite a lot of the stuff will stay the same. We need to get the paperwork all ready for this winter, so that we can have a bid-letting.”

State officials earlier had recommended the extension of the CEGG grant, administered through the Governor’s Office for Local Development through the Kentucky Community Development Office. The program’s goal is to provide flexible funding for economic growth and viability of communities within the commonwealth.

The funds will be used for engineering and the road’s final design, but they must be spent by year-end, Flint said.

“We’ll have about $900,000 to spend on this road,” Flint said. “Asphalt prices have gotten pretty high, but they are on their way down right now.”

In a related matter, members learned Flint met with Garver Engineers of Nashville, Tenn., who have been tasked with designing the site’s preliminary plans.

The engineering firm is reviewing the possibility of the riverport to handle all kinds of barges, Flint said.

“We are still waiting for the report and the Army Corps of Engineers also has to give their OK on it,” he said.

Flint also said he met with three stevedores regarding the riverport, as well as one investment group.

“All of them have extremely good facilities on either the Ohio or Mississippi rivers and all thought the riverport should be developed in phases,” Flint said.

“We can start small and then slowly build on it,” he continued. “They also were all interested in working with Consolidated (Grain and Barge) on the agricultural side.”

Flint supplied necessary feedback to Garver, following the meetings, and is waiting to see how these visions will show up on the conceptual drawings.

“These companies also work on a revenue sharing basis,” Flint said. “They use the same type of fee situation and the same type of relationship that Consolidated has in their agreement.”

Flint concluded by saying the necessary state agricultural development fund reports were submitted.

The ADF granted $20,000 to be used for a study, but the funds hadn’t been spent.

Funds can only be used for ag port engineering and final design phases, Flint said.

Click Here to Go Back