State of Wisconsin to receive $227.4M in federal funding for roads, bridges

MADISON — Gov. Scott Walker announced on Wednesday, June 6 that Wisconsin will receive $227.4 million in new federal funding for our state’s roads and bridges in fiscal year 2018.

The new federal funds include Wisconsin receiving the largest Infrastructure For Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant or its predecessor FASTLANE in state history and other supplemental federal funding.

Associated Press reports the money is $86 million less than what it requested from the federal government to pay for upgrades and expansion of Interstate 94 south of Milwaukee in conjunction with the Foxconn Technology Group project. The report also says it raises questions about how the rest of the roadwork will be paid for.

The governor's office says the federal grant for Wisconsin will open all lanes to traffic by Memorial Day weekend of 2020 with full completion by 2021, 11 years ahead of schedule. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation applied for this grant in October 2017.

The federal funding also includes $67.4 million in supplemental highway funds and redistribution funds, $30 million of which is planned by WisDOT to fund 49 more local bridge projects throughout the state.