July 25, 2024

By Lane Kimble

MADISON, Wis. — Dozens of communities this week found out they’ll get a piece of $150 million in state money to fix deteriorating rural roads.

Gov. Tony Evers’ office announced Wednesday the first batch of Agriculture Road Improvement Program (ARIP) funding.  A committee selected 37 projects from a pool of applicants, totaling just shy of $50 million – or one-third of the ARIP funds.

The grants are spread fairly evenly across Wisconsin, with the Northeast WisDOT region awarded 11, Northwest receiving 10, and North Central getting eight.  Southwest Wisconsin will see seven initial ARIP projects, while the heavily populated Southeast Region will have only one.

“This stuff is as simple as making sure a farmer doesn’t have to drive 20 miles out of the way to avoid an aging road with weight limits—we can help fix that, and that’s what this program is all about,” Gov. Evers said in a press release.  “These investments and projects are going to be a big deal for rural communities across our state.”

Roads, bridges, and culverts must meet certain criteria to qualify, including being posted for weight limits, classified as a local road or minor collector, and they must serve at least one agriculture producer.

WisDOT leadership told WTBA’s Board of Directors in June they’re working to develop a centralized online database showing where projects will be, when they’ll be let, and material quantities.

Lincoln County received the largest portion of funding in this opening round for its $3.9 million rebuild of County Highway YY.  Applications for the final $100 million of ARIP money will open later this summer.