Article Summary –
Gov. Tony Evers announced that over 150 road and bridge projects in Wisconsin will receive more than $200 million in federal infrastructure funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This funding, part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, contributes to the already substantial $6.6 billion allocated to Wisconsin for various infrastructure projects, including public transportation, water infrastructure, and electric vehicle charging stations. While the law received bipartisan support in Congress, it was only backed by Wisconsin’s Democratic congressional members, with Republicans like Sen. Ron Johnson opposing it due to concerns over broader Democratic fiscal policies.
Gov. Tony Evers announced on Aug. 6 that federal infrastructure funding will support over 150 road and bridge projects in Wisconsin.
“I ran for governor promising to fix the darn roads. After improving more than 7,400 miles of roads these past five years, today I’m excited we’re going to be able to continue building upon this important work with the help of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” Evers said in a statement.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation will distribute over $200 million in funding, made possible by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, to local communities. Craig Thompson, department secretary, said nearly every county will receive aid through the Surface Transportation Program, which helps local governments apply for federal funds for road, highway, and bridge projects.
President Joe Biden signed the infrastructure law in November 2021. Data from the White House shows Wisconsin had received $6.6 billion for over 510 projects before this latest round.
Infrastructure funds have also been used for public transportation, water systems, electric vehicle charging stations, pollution cleanup, ports, and airports. The law cut high-speed internet costs for around 427,000 Wisconsin households.
Several major projects have received infrastructure funding.
The Blatnik Bridge, connecting Superior, Wisconsin, and Duluth, Minnesota, over the St. Louis Bay on I-535, is being replaced. It’s the second-largest bridge in Minnesota, with 33,021 cars crossing daily.
Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee received an infrastructure grant for Concourse D roof replacement.
While the law had bipartisan support in Congress, only Democrats in Wisconsin’s delegation backed it.
“Wisconsin’s roads and bridges need fixing. With the bipartisan infrastructure legislation, we will create jobs and rebuild,” Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin posted in August 2021.
The next day, Baldwin voted for the bill while Republican Sen. Ron Johnson opposed it. Johnson said in a statement, “This is just the first step in the Democrats’ $5 trillion radical tax-and-spend agenda, and I couldn’t support it.”
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