Ground was broken Tuesday on a project that will widen a 2.2-mile stretch of Industrial Drive to ease traffic congestion. The project is slated to be finished in September 2025, according to Owensboro Riverport President/CEO Brian Wright.
The project is being funded through an $11.5 million grant received in 2018. The grant deadline is September 2025, so Wright hopes the project does not extend beyond that time. Envision Contractors is doing the construction.
The grant allows 2.2 miles of the residential road to expand to three lanes. It’s not unusual to have 4,000 to 5,000 vehicles traveling on Industrial Drive daily, said Wright, who noting most of that it is people coming and going to work in heavy truck traffic.
On Tuesday, work began on Rinaldo Road, extending to Industrial Drive. From there, all construction will proceed south and on the west side of the road.
The Riverport has been eyeing some road improvement since the early 2000s, Wright said. He said they were hoping to work on this project before 2020, but the pandemic delayed their plans.
“We’re excited,” he said. “All the industries are excited about the groundbreaking.”
