September 18, 2026

By Lane Kimble

WisDOT wants $499.5 million moved up into next year’s state budget to keep the I-94 East-West expansion in Milwaukee on schedule.

Current plans to let the project’s East Leg and Stadium Interchange during the 2029-31 budget have “constructability issues” and wouldn’t allow for proper traffic flow through the busy corridor.

Moving this sizable chunk of funding forward in the budget cycle to 2027-29 would allow WisDOT to let the Eastbound Stadium Interchange portion a year early in 2028.

A vast majority ($496 million) of the request would come from borrowed money (bonding).

“Without a change in the construction delivery approach, there would be a significant delay to the project completion date. The project work would need to be separated, and the completion date would move from December 2033 to September 2035,” the department’s budget narrative says.

The request is part of WisDOT’s preliminary 2027-29 state budget request submitted to the Department of Administration on Tuesday.

It’s important to note WisDOT’s request is only partially complete due to federal funding uncertainty.

The federal budget, and the current five-year surface transportation law, both expire Sept. 30. Congress passed a stopgap measure to continue funding the government through early December but any deal to replace the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law appears far off.

Wisconsin typically relies on federal funding for 30% of its transportation budget.

“Given the significant impact federal transportation funding has on the Department’s budget, it is prudent and responsible to submit the second portion of the Department’s budget at a later date when we will be able to better estimate federal formula funding,” Secretary Kristina Boardman wrote.

This has been WisDOT’s approach in all but one budget cycle in the last 22 years, she added.

WisDOT’s partial request also asks for a $72 million increase in the 2027-29 state budget for routine maintenance.  Counties and municipalities use this funding for upkeep of state highways within their jurisdiction.

The governor develops his own budget proposal based in-part on department requests.  He typically unveils his plan in February of budget years.

Wisconsin will have a new governor in 2027 for the first time since Tony Evers took office in 2019 and party control of both the Assembly and Senate are up for grabs in November’s general election.