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    Louisville VA Medical Center reaches three-year construction milestone

    Construction continues at the Louisville VA Medical Center Oct. 30, 2024

    Photo By Michael Maddox | Construction continues on the East Bar of the Louisville VA Medical Center Oct. 30, 2024.... read more read more

    LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, UNITED STATES

    11.20.2024

    Story by Michael Maddox 

    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District

    Louisville, Ky. – After three years of construction, the Louisville VA Medical Center is more than halfway complete and is starting to look a lot like the concept art of the finished facility. This is because a lot of the initial heavy lifts are complete and work has moved more into internal infrastructure.

    Dave Kopecky, a resident engineer on the Louisville VA Medical Center project, said the work continues to progress on schedule.

    “We’re about 60 percent through all the construction. We’re just past the hump of all the major features of work and now there is a lot of interior work to be completed,” he said.

    “Some of the major features that have been completed recently include the water tower being constructed, but we still have to go through testing of it. We have the exterior skin going up on the North Parking Garage, which will completely change the look of it, from a concrete box being more visually appealing,” Kopecky added. “On top of the North Parking Garage, we also have the infrastructure for the solar panels that will be installed.”

    “For the hospital itself, you can see the exterior skin is progressing. Inside that, there is interior work taking place on all levels,” he said. “We do have some drywall going up in some areas that are the most finished. The second floor was the first one to progress to that level. Also, the air handler units on the sixth floor were just set in place.”

    Kopecky said right now one of the main focuses on the site is work in the Central Utility Plant.

    “They are going through some of the final stages of work. That will be the heartbeat of the hospital providing power and heat. Once it’s up and running, it will be able to provide temporary heat for construction during the colder months,” he explained.

    All of this work takes a lot of manpower and coordination.

    “We have close to 800 tradesmen currently working in the hospital for all features, from the walls to mechanical, medical gas. Orchestration of all the work that is going on is very complex, but it’s great to see it all coming together,” Kopecky said.

    He said he’s looking forward to seeing the finished facility.

    “Physical construction is scheduled to be complete in 2026. Then we will turn the building over to the VA and they will have what they call an activation period where they apply their final touches, bring in furniture, before it opens to patients,” he explained. “This will be my hospital, as a veteran, once it’s complete and I am just really excited that we are going to have a brand-new hospital. I’m extremely honored and humbled to be a part of this project.”

    The Louisville VA Medical Center is a $920 million project that includes the construction of a new 910,115 square-foot medical center, parking structures, a 42,205 square-foot central utility plant, roadways, sidewalks, and other site improvements.

    The new 104-bed, full-service hospital will provide world-class healthcare for more than 45,000 Veterans in Kentucky and Southern Indiana by integrating modern patient-centered care concepts to provide the best possible care for Veterans. In addition, to specifically address the needs of women Veterans, the new hospital will include a Women’s Health Clinic with four Patient Aligned Care Teams.

    The project designed by URS-Smith Group Joint Venture is being constructed by Walsh-Turner Joint Venture II, Chicago, Illinois.

    Construction is anticipated to be complete in 2026.

    To learn more about the project visit: www.va.gov/louisville-health-care/programs/new-robley-rex-va-medical-center.

    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 11.20.2024
    Date Posted: 11.25.2024 14:44
    Story ID: 486103
    Location: LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, US

    Web Views: 192
    Downloads: 0

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