August 1, 2025

By Lane Kimble

CRANDON, Wis. — Riding shotgun in a white pickup truck Thursday morning, Jeff Mursau repeatedly shared his amazement and wonder as he looked around.

“The amount of equipment and the amount of yards that they’re taking out of here is absolutely incredible,” Mursau said.  “It’s almost mind-blowing seeing it firsthand.”

The state representative from Crivitz traveled across his district to Crandon to check out the massive Highway 8 reconstruction project thanks to a WTBA invite.

Prime contractor Integrity Grading & Excavating’s Becky Woller and Brandon Barden worked with WTBA’s Elise Nelson to line up the tour.

Crews are moving more than 300,000 cubic yards of dirt along US 8, widening shoulders, installing water and sewer lines, box culverts, and pedestrian and ATV trails with safety being the driving force.

Mursau admits he has seen a lot in his 21 years as a lawmaker, but the visit left him feeling like he had just seen the Grand Canyon for the first time.

“You can see pictures of it, but until you get there and look over the edge, you don’t get the full view of what it actually is,” Mursau said.

The project runs through the heart of Forest County Potawatomi land between Crandon and Laona.

The Tribe worked with WisDOT, the Federal Highway Administration, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs to conduct studies, analyze data and apply for grant funding.

All told, the work will cost about $20 million.

“I asked the price of this project before we even started, before I’d even seen it, and you think, ‘Well, jeepers, that’s quite a bit of money,’ but when you get out here and see the amount of work that’s being done and the amount of dirt that has to be moved, that price gets more into perspective,” Mursau said.

“To be on the project and be able to drive through it is very worthwhile for me as a legislator.”