Governor Steve Beshear announced Thursday $383,471 in funding for a project in Russellville “to expand transportation choices to citizens in that community.”
The funding is through the federal Transportation Enhancement (TE). It will be used to restore and rehabilitate the historic Louisville and Nashville Railroad State Depot.
The depot was originally built in 1911 but was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in 1936. The Depot Building served the Memphis Line Division of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad.
“Enhancing a community’s transportation choices also enhances the quality of life for its citizens,” Gov. Beshear said. “We are confident this project will provide positive benefits for residents.”
TE is a federally funded reimbursement program administered by the Office of Local Programs in the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s Department of Rural and Municipal Aid.
“Restoring this historic depot will be a tremendous boon to Russellville,” said state Sen. Whitney Westerfield, of Hopkinsville. “I look forward to watching this project become a reality.”
“From personal travel and business transportation to those leaving our counties to serve in the military, there are a lot of memories tied up in the Depot, so I am certainly pleased that we are now moving forward to bring it back to its former glory,” said state Rep. Martha Jane King, of Lewisburg. “This project really means a lot to our community, and we can’t wait until it’s finished. I want to thank Gov. Beshear and the Transportation Cabinet for their work in making this possible.”
The program assists communities in funding transportation improvements such as safe bicycle and pedestrian facilities, scenic routes, beautification and othervinvestments. Projects may be a mix of elements and accessible to the general public or targeted to a broad segment of the general public.
TE funding enables the local government to recoup as much as 80 percent of the cost of a project. The Logan County Fiscal Court will put $95,867 of its local funding toward the cost of the project.
TE projects support Gov. Beshear’s efforts to improve the health of all Kentuckians. The Governor launchedkyhealthnow in February as an aggressive and wide-ranging initiative to reduce incidents and deaths from Kentucky’s dismal health rankings and habits. It builds on Kentucky’s successful implementation of health care reform and uses multiple strategies over the next several years to improve the state’s collective health
A number of organizations were involved in making this happen. Among them were Historic Russellville—led by attorney J. Gran Clark, LEAD—led by Tom Harned, and RJ Corman Railroad Co.—led by Fred Mudge.
The depot is located on Depot Street, which is West Second Street extended past Southern States and Clay’s Auto Body.