Press Release: Gov. Evers, WisDOT Announce Launch of New Program to Improve Rural Infrastructure and Support Wisconsin's Agricultural Industries

State of Wisconsin sent this bulletin at 02/03/2026 02:08 PM CST
Office of Governor Tony Evers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 3, 2026
Contact: GovPress@wisconsin.gov 
 
Gov. Evers, WisDOT Announce Launch of New Program to Improve Rural Infrastructure and Support Wisconsin’s Agricultural Industries
Thanks to Gov. Evers’ budget investments, $30 million in grants are available to help rural communities fix small bridge structures and culverts critical for revitalizing aging infrastructure
MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers, together with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), today announced that applications are now open for one-time grant funding available through the Local Small Structures Improvement Program (LSSIP) to repair or replace aging culverts and small bridge structures in rural communities. The funding was made available by the 2025-27 Biennial Budget signed into law by Gov. Evers last year, which provided $150 million for the highly successful Agricultural Roads Improvement Program (ARIP) created by Gov. Evers in 2023. Of that $150 million investment, $30 million was set aside to support projects focused on the repair or replacement of aging culverts and small bridge structures in rural communities that are critical for moving and transporting the state's agricultural and forestry products safely, efficiently, and effectively.

“The small bridge structures and culverts that connect our rural roads are essential for folks to get from point A to point B safely and efficiently and ensuring these structures are in good working condition is critical to the safety and success of our rural communities, families, and agricultural economies,” said Gov. Evers. “I was proud our bipartisan budget included targeted funding to support these small but essential structures. With this funding, we can help make sure our roads are safe and our farmers and producers can move products to market so Wisconsin's agricultural industries remain on top.”

Since Day One, Gov. Evers has been a steadfast advocate for Wisconsin’s farmers and producers, including ensuring they have the 21st-century infrastructure needed to get their products to market. In June 2023, Gov. Evers signed 2023 Wisconsin Act 13, expanding the Local Roads Improvement Program to include agricultural road improvement projects and provided $150 million to support these projects in the final 2023-25 Biennial Budget he signed into law just weeks later. Since its creation, the ARIP has funded 91 projects across the state that are helping improve and repair rural roads in 48 of Wisconsin's 72 counties. All told, since 2019, the Evers Administration has improved or repaired more than 9,600 miles of roads and over 2,400 bridges statewide.

“We applaud Gov. Evers’ leadership in addressing local needs through continued investment in our transportation system,” said WisDOT Secretary Kristina Boardman. “WisDOT teams have already worked with local leaders across the state to inventory Wisconsin’s small structures. We’re just as eager to review applications and prioritize projects that fix structures with the most urgent needs.”

The initial investment in the 2023-25 Biennial Budget included $12.5 million for WisDOT to assess local culverts and small bridge structures across the state to identify those in need of repairs or replacement. Since, WisDOT collaborated with local owners to inventory and inspect the more than 16,500 small structures across the state, identifying those in need of funding for replacement or repair. Structures that were reported in poor or severe condition by WisDOT are eligible for funding through the LSSIP, and local municipalities with structures rated in these conditions are urged to apply for funding to maintain safety and serviceability for residents, businesses, and visitors.

Application materials are available via AccessGov. The application period closes on Fri., May 1, 2026, at 5 p.m. Awarded projects may be funded up to 90 percent state cost share. 

More information on the LSSIP can be found here.

ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS IN THE 2025-27 BIENNIAL BUDGET TO IMPROVE INFRASTRUCTURE AND SUPPORT WISCONSIN FARMERS AND AGRICULTURE

After years of neglect under the previous administration, Gov. Evers has made fixing Wisconsin’s roads and bridges and making sure the state’s infrastructure can meet the needs of a 21st-century workforce and economy a top priority. In each of his biennial budgets, Gov. Evers has secured historic investments in Wisconsin’s transportation infrastructure, and improving Wisconsin’s roads and bridges continued to be a priority for the governor in the 2025-27 state budget. 

In addition to securing $150 million in funding for ARIP, the final 2025-27 Biennial Budget signed by Gov. Evers last July provided over $1 billion in new funding for key transportation investments, including:
  • Increasing General Transportation Aids (GTA) by three percent in both 2026 and 2027, which will provide municipalities with $33.2 million more over the biennium and counties with nearly $10 million over the biennium; 
  • A historic increase of nearly $333 million over the biennium in the state highway rehabilitation program;   
  • $100 million for the Local Roads Improvement Program-Supplemental program component
  • $244.5 million to keep key projects, such as I-41 and I-39/90, on schedule;   
  • A 10 percent increase to paratransit aids, increasing funding by $687,600 over the biennium;   
  • Improving safety on Milwaukee County expressways with over $38 million in expressway policing aids; and 
  • $50 million for the harbor assistance program, including $15 million for the Menominee Harbor Project and $20 million for the Port of Green Bay. 

The 2025-27 Biennial Budget also improves ongoing transportation fund revenues by generating nearly $200 million in additional revenue to improve the sustainability of the transportation fund.

Additionally, Gov. Evers, over the past six years, has secured critical investments for farmers, producers, and their families, including supporting the state’s meat and dairy producers, investing in farmer mental health resources, and bolstering Wisconsin’s exports worldwide. Gov. Evers recognizes that Wisconsin’s $116 billion agricultural industry is as critical to the state economy as it is to Wisconsin’s heritage and culture, and ensuring its continued growth and success for generations to come will be critical to ensuring Wisconsin’s continued growth and success.

Building upon efforts of the Evers Administration to date to support Wisconsin’s agricultural industry and proud heritage as “America’s Dairyland,” the 2025-27 Biennial Budget provides:

  • Ongoing funding for the Wisconsin Initiative for Agricultural Exports (WIAE) program to continue to support farmers and producers wanting to expand into new markets and increase output and help Wisconsin navigate international markets for agriculture, forestry, and food products;  
    • Under Gov. Evers’ leadership, according to the WIAE, Wisconsin is currently ranked 12th in the nation for agricultural exports by state, up from 13th in 2021. Today, under Gov. Evers’ leadership, Wisconsin is well on its way to becoming a top 10 state in the country for agricultural exports. 
  • $20 million to create a new state program designed to support dairy and agriculture resilience;   
  • $10 million to continue the Food Security Initiative, a program created by Gov. Evers that connects local nonprofit food assistance programs, such as food pantries, with local producers to keep shelves stocked;    
  • $3 million to continue the Tribal Elder Food Security program that helps Tribal elders access nutritious, culturally relevant food while supporting Wisconsin producers;   
  • $800,000 to increase the available funding for the successful Dairy Processor Grant Program;   
  • $1 million to bolster and support the Meat Processor Grant Program;   
  • Over $2.4 million over the biennium for the Meat Inspection Program to ensure meat products are produced safely and match nutrition labels;   
  • $200,000 to support farmers and their families’ mental health;   
  • $500,000 to increase funding for the Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grant Program, which helps enable producers and producer-led groups to implement nonpoint source pollution abatement strategies to improve Wisconsin’s soil and water quality;    
  • $2 million to continue the commercial Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Program, which aims to protect vital soil and water resources; and   
  • An additional $1.6 million to support the cover crop insurance program, which helps assist farmers with rebates of $5 per acre of a cover crop planted for crop insurance premiums paid on those acres. 

Gov. Evers also exercised his broad, constitutional veto authority to partially veto aspects of the budget that were outside of the bipartisan budget negotiations. More information about the bipartisan budget signed by Gov. Evers is available here.  
 
An online version of this release is available here.
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