LOUISVILLE, Ky. — On the Watterson Expressway near Brownsboro Road in Louisville, there is a towering network of steel beams drivers can see while driving. This is the future home of the Robley Rex Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Prudence Howard signed her name on a steel beam, but it wasn’t just any beam. As a Navy veteran and hospital director, she soaked in the excitement of a project. Howard served for 20 years, retiring from the military in 2008.
“This is a career greatness. To be able to sign my name not only as a veteran, but as a person that is actually going to activate the hospital,” Howard said.
Howard and other community leaders autographed the final beam installed during a “topping off” ceremony.
“It’s a tradition where when we get to the tallest or the highest portion of steel or we get to a critical piece of steel that represents where we’re at, hitting a major milestone. So, what we’re doing today is we’re taking an opportunity to celebrate a milestone and getting that last main critical piece of steel that’s put in place,” said Matt Lowe, the Chief of the Veteran Affairs Division with Louisville’s U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Over the last two years of construction, storm water runoff retention ponds have gone in and so has a parking garage. Crews are now framing the central utility plant. Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., said the $910 million project will provide care for over 45,000 veterans when construction is finished in 2026.
“You think about groundbreaking was two years ago. The physical overall frame is completed today and when you think about a high-tech hospital, it being completed two and a half years from now I think is a reasonable schedule. I am bullish on us meeting that schedule. It is on time and on-budget, which is pretty special,” said Beshear.
Howard got to watch the historic moment the topping out beam with her name on it was hoisted into place.
“Just a couple of weeks ago, I was actually on the roof of the hospital. So, to see that beam go up there is just tremendous.” Howard said.
Which she’ll always remember.
Lowe added a second parking garage is being built and drivers will soon see it going up.