Press Release: Gov. Evers Delivers Radio Address Highlighting $50 Million to Improve Rural Roads, Support Wisconsin's Farmers and Agricultural Industries

State of Wisconsin sent this bulletin at 07/25/2024 09:14 AM CDT
Office of Governor Tony Evers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 25, 2024
Contact: GovPress@wisconsin.gov 
 
Gov. Evers Delivers Radio Address Highlighting $50 Million to Improve Rural Roads, Support Wisconsin's Farmers and Agricultural Industries
 
Audio File of Radio Address.

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today delivered his weekly radio address highlighting the recent announcement of nearly $50 million in state investments through the new Agricultural Roads Improvement Program (ARIP) to help support 37 projects across 28 Wisconsin counties. The projects are aimed at helping support Wisconsin’s farmers, producers, and agricultural industries by improving rural roads and bridges that are critical to moving and transporting products, crops, and livestock, among others, efficiently and effectively across the state.

In June 2023, Gov. Evers signed 2023 Wisconsin Act 13 to expand the Local Roads Improvement Program to include agricultural road improvement projects by creating the ARIP. Weeks later, in July 2023, Gov. Evers signed the 2023-25 biennial budget, which provided $150 million for ARIP to improve the transportation infrastructure that provides access to agricultural lands or facilities.

This is the first round of funding awarded through ARIP. A full list of award recipients is available here.

Hey there, Wisconsin! Governor Tony Evers here.

Wisconsin’s agricultural industry is a $105 billion industry. So, there’s no doubt about it: agriculture is Wisconsin’s past, present, and it will be our future.

That’s why my administration has been committed to advancing initiatives to build the 21st-century workforce and infrastructure needed to support a 21st-century agricultural economy so we can help ensure this industry grows today, tomorrow, and for the years to come.

That’s included efforts to increase our exports all across the globe, bolster our agricultural supply chain’s workforce, and improve the quality of our local infrastructure so local farmers can get products from point A to B safely and efficiently through our new Agricultural Roads Improvement Program.

Folks, the quality of our local roads, bridges, and highways is critical to the success of our farmers, their families, and our state’s economy.

And this new program is specifically targeted to fixing our roads and bridges in rural, agricultural communities that depend on that infrastructure for their livelihoods.

Recently, I was glad to announce $50 million through the Agricultural Roads Improvement Program that will be going out to communities all across the state, from Manitowish Waters to Red River to La Grange.

By improving agricultural roads across our state, we’re helping ensure our agricultural industries can get product to market, keep food on grocery store shelves and on our tables, and support rural communities and economies.

That is a big deal, folks.

And as a state, in our largest municipalities and our smaller towns and villages, we’re going to keep working to fix the darn roads and build the 21st-century infrastructure Wisconsinites need and deserve.

Thank you.
 
An online version of this release is available here.
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