August 14, 2024

By Lane Kimble

Communities across Wisconsin can again apply for grants to repair dozens of rural roads, bridges, and culverts, just weeks after the state awarded its first batch of recipients.

Monday, Gov. Tony Evers and WisDOT Secretary Craig Thompson announced the opening of the second round of Agricultural Roads Improvement Program (ARIP) grants, totaling about $100 million.

Municipalities and counties can use the money to cover up to 90% of costs to fix roads that directly serve farms, forestry, and food processing facilities.

“When we support Wisconsin’s farmers, we strengthen the backbone of our state’s economy,” said WisDOT Secretary Craig Thompson. “We’re confident this investment will make a real difference in rural communities by making transport of agricultural goods less costly and more efficient.

The state announced the first 37 projects to receive about $50 million of ARIP funding in late July.  The awards were spread fairly evenly across the state, save for the heavily populated southeast region.

Applications can be found HERE and will be accepted through 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 30. WisDOT expects to announce the second round recipients in December.