October 9, 2026
By Lane Kimble
MADISON — There was no avoiding the elephant in the room at Tuesday’s annual WTBA Fall Meeting in Madison.
The word “uncertainty” kept popping up.
“It’s probably a big reason why you’re here,” Board President Mike Hahn admitted.
There’s the toss up for governor and a change in administration guaranteed, control of the Legislature at stake, and big question marks over just how much funding will be in next year’s state budget for transportation.
“Uncertainty isn’t something to fear, it’s something to take on and tackle together,” Hahn said. “I can’t promise you’ll leave here with a bunch of guarantees but you’re in the right place to set yourselves, your friends, and colleagues on the right path.”
Over the next four hours, attendees saw the roadmap to that path start to take shape, hearing from WisDOT, state lawmakers, and some big name guests.
WisDOT administrators, led by Secretary Kristina Boardman, thanked members for their commitment to teamwork and communication across more than 400 projects during the last fiscal year.
“This is a time of transition in Wisconsin, but please know that our partnerships remain stronger than ever,” Boardman said.
LETS & QUANTITIES SIMILAR TO YEARS PAST, BUT FEDERAL FUNDING UP IN THE AIR
The department anticipates another 415 projects in FY2027, with an estimated let range of $1.54 to $1.58 billion. That would be similar to last year’s projections.
“We try to build those estimates into the program to create some stability for you guys,” Division of Transportation Investment Management Administrator Justin Shell said. “It can be a bit of a moving target.”
One of the biggest unknowns for WisDOT’s projected quantities is at the federal level.
WisDOT DECKS
- Projected FY27 Lets & Quantities
- WisDOT partnerships, progress, and priorities
- Secretary Kristina Boardman remarks
SURVEY SAYS?
Did you attend the Fall Meeting? We’d like to hear from you about the agenda, the venue, the food, and your overall experience!
Attendees should have received an email from Lane Kimble with a link to a brief survey on Wednesday morning. Please take a moment to share your thoughts before Sunday, Oct. 11. You can contact Lane with questions or if you did not receive the email.
GAZE AT THE GALLERY
Also, make sure to check out our 2026 Fall Meeting photo gallery HERE.
The five-year Bipartisan Infrastructure Law expired Sept. 30 and Congress has yet to introduce a replacement, instead using a Continuing Resolution to fund the government into December.
Wisconsin relies on federal funding for about 30% of its biennial budget, but can’t accurately plan for 2027-29 without knowing how much the feds will kick in.
“We feel confident that our numbers are going to be similar to the previous years but we just don’t know if there’s going to be a significant increase (in federal money),” Shell said.
That means projected quantities look similar to but are sometimes slightly down from 2026.
Concrete is projected at 1.9 million square yards (down from 2.4 million), asphalt sits even at 3.7 million tons, excavation is projected at 4.6 million cubic yards (down from 4.7 million), and bridge decking at just 800 million square feet (down from 1.4 million in FY26).
Congress did not extend advance appropriations with its CR, a big portion of which funded Wisconsin’s bridge formula program. That cut about $9 billion from the nation’s transportation funding baseline.
“There’s still a lot of bridge needs out there,” Shell said. “It’ll be critical as the reauthorization bill comes along that it continues that bridge funding.”
STATE LAWMAKERS AGREE ON THE PROBLEM, VARY ON THE FIX
Some of the people who may be responsible for deciding how much of that funding is available for WisDOT to use talked about their views on transportation with the crowd.
A panel of legislative leaders included Sen. Pat Testin (R-Stevens Point), Assembly Majority Leader Rep. Tyler August (R-Walworth), Sen. Brad Pfaff (D-Onalaska), and Rep. Tip McGuire (D-Kenosha).
The lawmakers agreed there’s a significant (more than $1 billion) transportation funding shortfall to fill in next year’s state budget but differed broadly on how to fill it. The conversation ranged from user fees, sales taxes on cars and parts, general fund transfers, and even tolling.
Meanwhile, attendees also heard from the two men vying for the job of signing that next state budget.
Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany spoke to the crowd for about 15 minutes, pledging to put more money into transportation. His opponent, Democratic Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, was unable to attend but sent a video message committing to finding long-term funding solutions for transportation.
The Fall Meeting also featured a visit from special guest Gov. Tony Evers, who decided not to seek reelection after eight years in office (more on that below!) and will retire in January.
Contract lobbyist Eric Petersen provided his analysis and predictions for next month’s elections and the budget battle that awaits before WTBA Executive Director Steve Baas thanked people for their time and attention.
The road ahead may be uncertain, Baas said, but the only path is forward.
“We need to remind (every lawmaker we talk to) the simple fact is: if they don’t buy it, you can’t build it. And if they don’t fund it, we can’t fix it,” Baas said.
“Let’s keep that message strong and consistent.”
