MONROE — Local roads should soon see improvements thanks to a new state program aimed at both safety and efficiency for farmers, freight drivers and public transportation. 

On Aug. 25, Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Secretary Craig Thompson joined Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) Secretary Randy Romansk at Carrousel Farms south of Monroe for the announcement which highlights strategic transportation investments in rural Wisconsin communities.

“Agriculture and transportation go hand-in-hand in Wisconsin. Without a quality network of roads and bridges, a cornerstone of our state’s economy will not thrive,” WisDOT Secretary Thompson said. “We remain committed to making strategic investments to benefit our agriculture partners and continue to grow that industry.”

Thompson said Carrousel Farms on County B in Green County was a perfect location to celebrate continuing efforts to improve rural roads and bridges.

“Today’s location here at Carrousel Farms so clearly points out the importance of our rural roads and bridges to one of the most important and certainly one of the most iconic industries in our state: Agriculture,” Thompson said.

Wisconsin is home to 64,100 farms on 14.2 million acres. Annually, Wisconsin agriculture provides 435,700 jobs or 11.8% of the state’s employment. Wisconsin exported a record high $4.22 billion of agricultural and food products to 142 countries in 2022, accounting for more than 9% of Wisconsin’s total export value.

The majority of agricultural freight in Wisconsin is moving over roadways in trucks. WisDOT continues to invest in transportation infrastructure that will help agriculture and all of Wisconsin’s freight-dependent industries be more competitive, both in the state and in markets all around the world.

“What we do to make Wisconsin more competitive and successful makes our entire state more successful,” Thompson said of the Wis. DOT. “Agriculture and transportation go hand-in-hand. Without quality roads and bridges, the cornerstone of our state’s economy — agriculture — will not thrive. It’s vital that we maintain our roads and bridges.”

Thompson said many rural roads are in bad shape after decades of disinvestment.

“We understand that when pavement is deteriorating and bridges are weight restricted, it’s not just time consuming and inconvenient, it puts our state’s farmers and our agricultural industry in a competitive disadvantage,” Thompson said.

He went on to highlight Wis. 11 as a prime example. A project that ended in 2021 saw the highway rebuilt over several miles across the north side of Monroe, with the road widened and repaired. The rebuilt road should serve the area for decades, Thompson said.

“Highway 11 is vital for farmers to get their milk to preprocessors and for cheese makers to get their product to market,” Thompson said. “(Wis. 11) was another road that was in trouble. The pavement was deteriorated and warranted substantial repairs. Like many rural highways in state, Highway 11 needed attention.  ... I also want to mention that dollars don’t fix roads; people do.”

A press release from the Wis. DOT stated that Governor Tony Evers’ biennial budget reflects historic transportation investments for quality infrastructure in all corners of the state. The recent budget includes $100 million for the Local Road Improvement Program, and $150 million for the newly created Agricultural Road Improvement Program. WisDOT also continues to invest in the Harbor Assistance Program to fund harbor improvements such as the new agricultural transloading facility at Port of Milwaukee.

“Local roads, local bridges — we need to make sure they can handle the types of equipment (that are used),” Romanski said. “If the roads can’t handle it, then farmers have to spend extra time planning new, longer routes and more fossil fuels for transportation to get from Point A to Point B. “That’s just not an efficient way to operate.”

Since 2019, WisDOT has improved more than 5,800 miles of roads and nearly 1,600 bridges throughout the state. 

“Thank you for fixing these roads,” Carrousel co-owner Randy Bader said at the podium. “It is absolutely important for the safety and the movement of our crops and machinery across this great state. Highway 11 is a perfect example — the larger equipment we have to run nowadays really needs to have the width for both the machines and the people.”

Between the investments in Governor Evers’ first two budgets and the new federal resources Wisconsin will receive under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, $1.65 billion will be directed to WisDOT programs specifically for local road and bridge projects through Federal Fiscal Year 2026. This total represents more than doubling the funding to local road and bridge structures. Additionally, General Transportation Aids supply another $500 million annually to help address transportation needs.

“Wisconsin’s $104.8 billion agriculture industry depends on sound infrastructure, as do consumers of their products,” DATCP Secretary Romanski said. “Governor Evers and the legislature have prioritized investments in Wisconsin’s roads and bridges that support commerce throughout the state. From farm gate to dinner plate, infrastructure funding impacts every producer in the state, retailer of Wisconsin goods, and consumer of agricultural products.”

Thompson said $150 million should sound like a lot of money, but of Wisconsin roadways, 90% is in local jurisdiction, and a lot serve as primary roads for agricultural use. Those local entities — counties, cities and townships — will be in charge of grading and figuring out which roads to repair first, and then submitting that information for the grant program, which will already have certain criteria for eligibility of funds.

Both Thompson and Romanski hope success is seen soon, and the program will continue. Romanski said the bipartisanship from the Governor’s office and the state legislature has allowed for the funds. 

“I can’t predict, but I hope this lays the foundation for an agreed upon investment moving forward,” Romanski said.

Thompson said $150 million is a one-time grant for the next two years. 

“We like to have predictable, long-term funding. But this is the first step. Success begets success. If this $150 million goes out and people see the improvement, farmers see the improvement, at the end of the day, lawmakers listen to their constituents, and if the people see the value in it, I think it certainly helps the chances of this becoming an ongoing source to fix our roads,” Thompson said.