July 16, 2025

By Lane Kimble

RIVER HILLS, Wis. — You kind of assume a massive 14-mile freeway expansion would require a lot of people and companies to get the job done.

Indeed, the I-43 North-South project “thank you” sheet proudly displayed during a ribbon cutting ceremony Tuesday afternoon read like a who’s who of excellent WTBA members:

Edgerton Contractors, Hoffman Construction, James Peterson Sons, Lunda Construction, Michels, Trierweiler, Vinton, and Zenith Tech to name a few.  Then there were some of the consulting firms such as Benesch, Collins Engineers, DAAR, HNTB, Jacobs, JT Engineering, Kapur, Lakeside Engineers, and WSP.

“Even little Zignego is a valuable partner,” Dan Zignego said with a smile.

The Zignego Company president was easy to spot at the ceremony, smiling and laughing with fellow contractors – competitors every second Tuesday of the month, but partners and friends every other.

Zignego crews’ job on I-43 of reconstructing the Mequon Road interchange was relatively small in the grand scheme of the $500+ million project.  But it represented one of the top-five contracts the company has ever won.

“It was a huge undertaking,” Zignego said of I-43.  “It was difficult, it was challenging… It took a lot of people and a lot of manhours, dedicating their lives out here.”

Construction work to expand I-43 from four to six lanes began in earnest in early 2022, but the project dates back to at least 2012.  Transportation funding cuts put things on hold in the mid-2010s, but Gov. Tony Evers and lawmakers committed the funding for I-43 in the 2019 state budget.

It marked a huge win for local communities, having spent years listening to and soothing concerns of neighbors, businesses, and commuters.

“We have all the same parts of the story of a good family road trip,” Mequon Mayor Andy Nerbun said.

“Planning, logistics, weather delays, shared experiences, decisions, unexpected events, personalities, and just like any family stuck in a car for a long road trip, sometimes differing opinions.”

The project also represents a victory for the entire state.  WisDOT Secretary Kristina Boardman says 30 million tons of freight move on the interstate every year and tens of thousands of vehicles use it daily.

“This project shows that when we invest in Wisconsin’s transportation system, we are investing in more than just steel and concrete and asphalt,” Boardman said.  “We’re attracting visitors, we’re improving the flow of commerce, we’re making it easier to get to work, and–most importantly–always improving safety.”

Thousands of people helped do all that on time and under budget, a massive undertaking that shows what WTBA companies can do when their strengths are combined.

“We accomplished something really great,” Zignego said.  “We’re moving from this one onto the next one.  The future’s wonderful and we’ve just got to keep showing up and doing our best every day.”