Beginning Monday, March 10, the construction area for the Riverfront Infrastructure Improvement Project will expand to include the area behind the Holiday Inn Paducah Riverfront hotel adjacent to the Greenway Trail. This expanded closure will be adjacent to the current work zone which is on the river side of the floodwall between the floodwall opening on North 2nd Street and the floodwall opening on Executive Boulevard.
Crews will be installing storm sewer pipe in the expanded closure area. The closure will be ongoing as work in this area will continue through the fall of this year.
This expanded closure will NOT affect the parking area for the hotel or for the Convention Center. Furthermore, the Greenway Trail will remain open to pedestrian and bicycle traffic. As a reminder, vehicles are not permitted on the Greenway Trail, and due to the construction boundaries, vehicles are NOT permitted to travel between the Convention Center complex and the transient dock area.
For vehicular traffic, the floodwall openings at Executive Boulevard and at the intersection of North 2nd Street and Madison Street are open to the public. The Harrison Street floodwall opening is a construction entrance only and closed to the general public.
As the contractor and subcontractors work to improve Paducah’s riverfront, there will be additional areas that will require closures. Please use caution, watch for the work crews, and respect any barriers or fencing placed in the work zone.
Background: The Paducah Riverfront Infrastructure Improvement Project also known as the BUILD Grant project includes a riverboat excursion pier, transportation enhancements, and improvements to the river side of the floodwall between the Paducah-McCracken County Convention & Expo Center and Broadway.
In 2019, the City received notification that it would be receiving a $10.4 million Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Grant administered through the Maritime Administration (MARAD) to improve the riverfront. In June 2024, the City accepted a $3.5 million appropriation for the project outlined in House Bill 1 as approved during Kentucky’s legislative session.
In the summer of 2024, the City requested bids for the project. After negotiations to determine cost-cutting measures, the City approved an approximately $20.4 million contract with Jim Smith Contracting on November 12, 2024. Crews began mobilizing on this project, which is expected to take approximately 18 to 24 months, on November 21, 2024.
Learn more by visiting BUILD Grant.
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