Paducah River Port details $6.6 million in recent grant investments, lays out $50 million Riverport West estimate

Jimmy Garrett, executive director of the Paducah-McCracken County River Port, told the McCracken County Fiscal Court on July 28 that the port handled roughly 427,000 tons of material this year and completed a string of grant-funded projects that total about $6.6 million since 2021.

The update, delivered during the court's regular meeting, outlined current cargo activity, operating finances, recent grant awards and projects, improvements to on-site equipment and buildings, and an estimated $50 million construction cost to complete the proposed Riverport West expansion.

Why it matters: the port is a century-scale logistics asset for Paducah and McCracken County; the combination of grant funding, private customers and a renewed Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) may influence local industrial activity, barge traffic and storage capacity.

Garrett said the port produced about 427,000 tons of material this year, shipped roughly 362,000 tons and carried a net inventory of about 1,000 tons; he identified Pine Bluff Rock, TAM International and Southern FS among the top customers. "I'm Jimmy Garrett. I'm the executive director, Paducah McCracken County, River Port," Garrett said when introducing himself to the court.

On specialized work,…