Archives for 2025

WISCONSIN DELLS — It had every appearance of a traditional industry conference.

A large ballroom with a stage, podium, and projector up front; coffee and water stations to the back.

But there was something different about the seating arrangements.

Friends and coworkers who would typically congregate together found themselves scattered across the room, sitting next to strangers, competitors, and perhaps even people they’ve had strong disagreements with.

That was by design.

“Let’s get out of our cubes and work together. This is like a jumpstart. It’s the basis of problem solving,” WisDOT Bureau of Technical Services Chief Norman Pawelczyk told the crowd.

Indeed, the first-ever Utility Coordination Workshop held Tuesday in Wisconsin Dells was all about trying something new to improve on a longstanding construction challenge: utility marking, design, and relocation.

WTBA, WisDOT, ACEC of Wisconsin, and utility groups worked together for months to plan a conference where ideas aren’t just presented, they’re actively discussed, debated, and shared.

“We all share the common goals of moving our projects forward with safety, with efficiency, with innovation and that’s really what we’re here about,” DTSD Administrator Rebecca Burkel said. “We have a lot of technical experts in the room today and we need all of us to help advance these shared goals.”

About 150 people from dozens of different companies and backgrounds attended. Organizers also highlighted various platforms where people can get involved, such as the Damage Prevention Council, and WTBA’s successful efforts to pass a law that offers contractors compensation for delays caused by utility conflicts.

Seating assignments may have been the most daunting part of planning the conference, ensuring each table had people with different perspectives and viewpoints.

That led to concrete paving managers sitting next to folks from AT&T, earthmovers picking the brains of WE Energies reps, and consultants swapping stories with municipal public works employees.

“It’s been an interesting group,” Eric Bertram, Edgerton Contractors’ GM of underground utilities, told WTBA of his table. “You walk a mile in someone else’s shoes, you kind of understand where they’re coming from.”

The agenda presented four topics (leveraging what works and doesn’t with locating, effective communication with design and bidding, 3D utility data benefits, and how to ensure relocation happens accurately and on time) and allowed time for tabletop discussions on each.

After 25-30 minutes of conversation and debate, groups would share what they learned with the entire room.

Bertram admitted it’s not always easy to get out of your comfort zone–or “cube”, as it were. But he found the all-day workshop worthwhile, hoping it lays the foundation for better projects and fewer conflicts in the field.

“Any time we have an opportunity to try and be part of a solution and not just complain about the problem, I think it’s important,” Bertram said. “You have to try to step up and find where there is some common ground. I know the hardest thing to change sometimes is the status quo.”

The three most popular and well-paying apprenticeship pathways in Wisconsin all have something in common: they’re tied to the construction industry.

Still, the demand for skilled workers is outpacing the state’s programs.

The Wisconsin Policy Forum’s latest reportout Thursday found new electrician, carpenter, and construction laborer apprentices all earned well above $40,000 per year.

The 252 new construction laborer apprentices in 2024 was the third-most of any career path.

However, the report says there are 2,574 projected job openings in the industry, meaning fewer than one apprentice is available per every 10 job openings.

Apprenticeships in other fields are significantly lacking, especially in health care, registered nurses, education and human resources. Geographically, south-central and northeast Wisconsin have much stronger participation levels than the north-central and northwest parts of the state.

The report suggests those fields and regions need to bolster employer participation and boost wage offerings to improve the workforce.

“Though not the only pathway into many in-demand, good-paying careers, apprenticeships are a critical tool for addressing Wisconsin’s workforce demand in many industries and could be further expanded,” the report’s authors wrote.

Wisconsin has set record levels of apprenticeship participation for the past several years.

A WTBA member hopes the perspective he offered this week will help the federal government streamline construction permitting while still protecting the environment.

Jeff Parisi, the Director of Business Development for the Walbec Group, testified Mondayduring an Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers’ public hearing.

The EPA in November proposed updating its rule defining waters of the United States, or “WOTUS.” Part of the change would exclude roadside ditches from being considered WOTUS, helping avoid a potentially lengthy construction permitting process.

The proposed rule also clearly defines words such as “relatively permanent,” “continuous surface connection,” and “ditch,” eliminating confusion or gray areas.

“For companies like ours, uncertainty increases risk for project schedules, equipment planning, and workforce allocation,” Parisi said.  “Determinations that change mid-project, or differ across district boundaries, can push a construction project back by years, delaying necessary transportation construction improvements.

“State transportation agencies and contractors need the ability to plan multi-year projects with confidence.”

Parisi was one of more than a half-dozen stakeholders to testify during the hours-long hearing, which was held both in-person in Pittsburgh and online.

The public comment period for the rule change runs through Jan. 5, 2026.

MADISON — Two critical freeway corridors on opposite sides of the state could get major expansion or reconstruction work in the coming years, improving safety and reliability.

The Transportation Projects Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to approve studies of I-94 in western Waukesha County and US-53 in Eau Claire and Chippewa counties.

The I-94 study will look at potentially expanding a 27-mile stretch between Willow Glen Road (just west of Oconomowoc) and the Zoo Interchange.

That area of the state has exploded in growth, with upwards of 142,000 vehicles using the eastern portion daily and 74,000 using the western portion.

Division of Transportation Investment Management Administrator Justin Shell says the western part is the busiest stretch of four-lane freeway in the entire state of Wisconsin. Drivers frequently struggle with delays due, in part, to 40 crash hotspots WisDOT identified along the corridor.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re a commuter, if you’re transporting freight, or just trying to get to a Brewers or Bucks game, you’re going to experience this delay,” Shell said, noting such delays added up to around 1 million vehicle hours to commutes in 2024.

“You don’t know when you’re going to hit a situation like that where you come around the corner and you have brake lights.”

The study will look at possible benefits from freeway expansion and upgrades to many of the 14 interchanges along I-94 in Waukesha County.

RAPIDLY GROWING US-53 CORRIDOR ALSO GETS STUDY

The TPC also approved a study looking at a nine-mile stretch of US-53 that bypasses Eau Claire and runs north through Altoona toward Chippewa Falls.

Shell says this portion of US-53 carries more traffic than I-94 in Eau Claire County and has seen traffic volumes grow higher than expected. The study will look at whether to upgrade ramps, rebuild interchanges, expand beyond four lanes, or a mixture of all three.

The TPC meets every December and oversees the state’s Major and Southeast Mega programs. In odd-numbered years, it votes on sending potential projects to study.  The TPC votes to recommend projects for funding in the state budget during even-numbered years.

It also reviews reports from WisDOT’s secretary each February and August.

The 15-person commission includes State Senate Transportation and Local Government Committee Chair Cory Tomczyk, Assembly Transportation Chair Nancy VanderMeer, and several citizen members. Gov. Tony Evers serves as TPC chairman.

“Obviously it’s an important meeting,” Gov. Evers said. “For the fourth (budget) in a row, we had an increase in transportation funding. Thank you so much for that.”