After three and a half years, significant progress has been made on the construction of the Louisville VA Medical Center. Work is taking place inside and out all the structures across the site as construction completion nears.
Terry Durham, area engineer for the project, said the team has made substantial progress over the past year that will continue into 2026 as construction wraps up.
“The majority of site utilities are installed, the water tower is complete and construction of the water tower’s storage tank near the entrance of the site continues,” he said. “Over the next few months, the site will be graded in preparation for paving, sidewalks and fence construction. Foundations to support the structural steel for the laundry facility are being installed and loading dock concrete work is also nearing completion.”
He said the site is also getting closer to providing several utilities for other structures.
“The central utility plant is well underway with cooling towers set with equipment start up and testing planned over the next few months. This will enable the startup at the chill water system and will be critical to condition the medical center,” Durham explained.
Both the North and South parking garages are also now structurally complete, and elevators are being installed in both.
“The exterior rain screens are also being installed on the North parking garage, which will complete the architectural aesthetics of that structure,” Durham added.
There is also a lot of activity taking place inside and outside the medical facility itself.
“Exterior panels on the west side of the facility are wrapping up. This will allow significant construction to continue on the interior of the facility. Framing, utility rough in, and drywall is currently being installed,” he said. “Flooring is also underway with mockup rooms being completed for architectural review.”
“Interior buildout continues in the east side of the medical center and will continue to progress over the next few months,” Durham added. “Skylights and windows are also going in to complete the enclosure of the concourse, and that will really start to take shape over the next months.”
Durham said activities in the next year of construction will be critical, but he’s confident in the team’s ability to get to the finish line.
“I'm really proud of the hard work and dedication by my team, the construction contractor, and our counterparts at the VA. As work to complete the interior of the medical center, the delivery and installation of high-tech medical equipment will require extensive coordination to ensure if we get this right and provide the most state-of-the-art care,” he said. “I look forward to construction completion in 2026 and getting that much closer to providing veterans in our community the care they deserve.”
The Louisville VA Medical Center is a $930 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.
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.
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