The public is invited to a ribbon cutting ceremony Sept. 30th
State Senator Dale Fowler is proud to announce the completion of the Old Shawneetown Ohio Boat Ramp and would like to formally invite local leaders and the public to a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of the newly redone ramp.
“The completion of this project is huge for Gallatin County and the surrounding area, and I want to thank everyone who played a role in seeing this project through,” said Senator Fowler. “Between state, federal and local agencies, it was all-hands-on-deck to get the residents of this area the new boat ramp they deserve for both public safety and recreational purposes.”
Earlier this summer, local leaders and project stakeholders broke ground on the project officially starting construction on June 20, 2023. Since then, Brown and Roberts Inc., which is overseeing the project, elevated a portion of the lower ramp and parking area, completed a new boat access ramp, placed two jetties into the river to divert siltation, and replaced nearly 2,000 square feet of parking lot and rip rap along the area.
Gallatin County Emergency Management will launch their emergency rescue boat during the ceremony scheduled for Saturday, September 30, 2023, at 11AM at the new boat ramp.
“This new boat ramp plays a vital role in public safety and it’s only fitting that the first boat launched is our emergency rescue boat considering it’s been 15 years since we’ve had river access from the Illinois side,” said Gallatin County Emergency Management Director, Steve Gault. “This new ramp will ensure faster response times and could save lives as we now have immediate access to river emergencies versus before we had a 35–40-minute drive to launch any sort of water response call.”
The project was made possible by an $800,000 grant through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.