OLD SHAWNEETOWN, Ill. -- A ceremony is scheduled for the newly completed boat ramp in Old Shawneetown on Saturday.
The public is invited to take part in the ribbon cutting ceremony event which will be held at the Ohio River Boat Ramp at 11 a.m. on September 30 on the east side of Old Shawneetown.
“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 State Senator Dale 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.�
On June 20, 2023, local leaders and project stakeholders broke ground on the boat ramp with Brown and Roberts Inc. overseeing the project.
Included in the project is a new access ramp, two jetties in the river to divert siltation and a remodeled 2,000 square foot parking lot.
The Gallatin County Emergency Management is scheduled to be the first to launch out into the river using the new boat ramp. They plan to launch their emergency rescue boat out during the ceremony.
“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.�
An $800,000 grant through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity helped with funding the project.
