Friday, October 30, 2026

Your go-to source for Association and transportation industry news, notes, and need-to-knows

NEWS & NOTES

Brew Crew's historic World Series win paves the way for Parade of Champions

(Photo courtesy Mary DeCicco / MLB / Getty Images)

For once, road and ramp closures won’t be due to WTBA members hard at work.

Instead, traffic will be rerouted for hundreds of thousands of fans to line Wisconsin Avenue and fill the Summerfest Grounds under the shadow of the Hoan Bridge to celebrate our World Series champion Milwaukee Brewers.

Gosh, it just doesn’t get old hearing that…

The Brewers’ Parade of Champions will step off at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 30 at the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and 4th Street in downtown Milwaukee.

They’ll head east, ending at Henry Maier Festival Park (Summerfest Grounds).

Gates open there at 8 a.m.

The first 50,000 fans at the festival grounds will receive a free championship rally towel. There are dozens of activities, meet 'n greets, musical acts and more that you can enjoy for free.

Fans hoping to attend the team rally itself inside the American Family Amphitheater at 11:30 a.m. will need a ticket, which went on sale Thursday afternoon. Proceeds from those sales will benefit the Brewers Community Foundation.

Enjoy it, Wisconsin! We won OUR way!

Closing Arguments: Tiffany, Crowley share vision for transportation funding in short videos

Transportation funding and closing a $1 billion revenue shortfall in the next state budget is top of mind for Wisconsin’s gubernatorial candidates headed into next week’s election.

Now you can hear from both directly about their positions before heading to the polls.

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and Congressman Tom Tiffany both offered their vision for roads in two-minute videos shared with WTBA this month.

Click each thumbnail below to watch both videos.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters can possibly request and vote via absentee ballot in-person in their municipal clerk’s office through November 1, 2026, according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission. Office hours vary by municipality.

You can check your voter status, find your polling place, and see what’s on your ballot at myvote.wi.gov.

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

I-39/90/94 public virtual meeting set for Nov. 10

Construction itself may not start until 2028, but plenty of work is going on right now to get ready for the massive 67-mile reconstruction of I-39/90/94.

WisDOT will hold a virtual public information meeting next month to give people an update on the planned schedule and ask project team members questions.

The meeting is set for Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 5:30 p.m. You can join the meeting HERE.

The overall project runs through the heart of Wisconsin where three interstates combine between Madison and Wisconsin Dells.

There are 113 bridges, 15 existing interchanges and two potential new ones all in the cue for improvements along with expanding the freeway.

The work could take more than a decade and cost at least $4.6 billion according to WisDOT’s latest estimates.

The department plans to use Design-Build early in the process to replace the Mirror Lake Bridges. That tool could save taxpayers about $300 million, according to WisDOT Secretary Kristina Boardman.

Statements of Qualification for the bridges are due Nov. 19 and WisDOT intends to issue a Request for Proposals in late-December.

DNR seeking additional feedback on concrete slurry disposal guidance

Concrete diamond grinding on State Highway 31 in Kenosha. (Courtesy Ilya Levkov / Zignego Group)

The Wisconsin DNR wants to hear from contractors about its updated concrete slurry disposal guidance.

The DNR issued a “fact sheet” this year detailing six options for disposal, pH testing, a shortened review window, and clarification on sidecasting.

The updates are the result of months of discussions between DNR, WisDOT, and industry groups including WTBA after the agency initially released its fact sheet in March.

The DNR made important revisions thanks to those discussions, most notably clarifying that nonmetallic mine sites would not need new permits.

WTBA Director of Engineering Matt Grove stressed to WisDOT and the DNR that contractors need consistency across projects and regions for disposal so projects can be properly bid.

You can review the updated draft and a form for approval of a slurry storage/evaporation structure via the links in this sentence. DNR says it is open to further potential updates based on additional feedback from WTBA and its members.

Comments can be sent to Matt Grove and/or WTBA General Counsel Jodi Jensen by Wednesday, Nov. 4.

EVENTS & REMINDERS

Two birds, one stone: Join us for fourth-annual WTBA PAC Pheasant Hunt

A pheasant hunt next month will kill two birds with one stone.

You get to enjoy a fun afternoon in the fields with friends while also supporting WTBA’s critical legislative efforts to provide reliable transportation funding.

Join us for the fourth-annual WTBA PAC Pheasant Hunt on Friday, Dec. 4, 2026 at Milford Hills in Johnson Creek. Registration begins at 11:30 a.m. with a 12:30 p.m. start.

Each field will have 25 birds with the option to use a Milford guide and dogs, or you can choose to use your own trained animals. Then, stick around for a post-shoot reception with food, drinks and prizes in the clubhouse. (Check out last year's photo gallery HERE.)

Tickets go for $250 per shooter and must be paid via personal credit card, personal check, or personal Venmo, per state law.

Click HERE for full details and to register.

You can register anywhere between 1 to 4 shooters, but space is limited and slots will fill quickly so organize your team and support the WTBA PAC today!

Triple Treat of WTBA events all open NOW

Before that holiday shopping list begins to take shape, why not check three things off your to-do list now?

Registration is currently open for the WTBA Holiday Party (Dec. 10), the WTBA/WisDOT Contractor-Engineer Conference (Jan. 14-15, 2027) and the WTBA Annual Convention in Scottsdale (Feb. 21-25, 2027).

The Holiday Party is a free celebration to show our appreciation for our hundreds of amazing members. An RSVP is required.

The CE Conference is our largest event of the year, often drawing more than 700 people to the Kalahari.

And the Annual Convention is an amazing way to kick off the year with rest, relaxation, revelation, rewarding general sessions and much more.

You can find information about all three events at members.wtba.org/events.

REMINDER: Scholarship application deadline coming Nov. 13

Dozens of young men and women who dream of working in our industry have already applied for a WTBA of Tomorrow scholarship.

Make sure the son or daughter following in your footsteps, or that outstanding intern from this past summer is one of them.

The window to apply for our annual scholarship program closes Friday, Nov. 13, 2026.

WTBA will award two $5,000 Engineering Scholarships to four-year university students studying civil engineering and related fields, as well as two $3,000 Engineering Tech Scholarships for two-year college students with related industry focus.

Applicants must submit two letters of recommendation, their most recent school transcript (can be high school if applicant is a first-semester college student), and a one-page cover letter explaining why they are deserving of a WTBA award.

Head to scholarships.wtba.org to begin your application.

Winners will be notified in December and celebrated Jan. 14, 2027 at the Contractor-Engineer Conference Awards Banquet in Wisconsin Dells.