Friday, September 4, 2026

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

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

NEW PODCAST: Bringing America to Wisconsin's American Club

Most WTBA conferences and conventions happen in the middle of winter, when the construction season has wound down due to snow, ice and cold.

That won’t be the case when hundreds of industry leaders from across the country visit Wisconsin in September for the 2026 American Road and Transportation Builders Association’s National Convention at The American Club in Kohler.

ARTBA’s Chief Economist Dr. Alison Black can’t wait to get there.

“It’s beautiful, a great property. I think our entire membership is just really going to enjoy it,” Dr. Black said.

With excitement growing for Wisconsin to host the association’s marquee event, Steve Baas and Lane Kimble made a quick one-day trip to ARTBA’s Washington, D.C. offices to go over some of the plans, details, and record our latest “Road Trippin’ With WTBA” podcast.

Click HERE to listen now!

The discussion with Dr. Black and Director of Events Catie Amsden dives into what attendees can expect to see, hear and do during the four-day conference.

“Kohler is synonymous with golf, Whistling Straits… but there is so much more,” Amsden said. “I think there’s a lot of history up there (too) people maybe don’t realize.”

The event will include industry panels, keynote presentations, a captivating conversation with two hockey legends, plenty of great food, beverages, and activities, all in the stunning confines of one of Wisconsin's most beautiful resorts.

But it’s the true nature of conventions–the chance to connect–that has Amsden and Black most excited.

“It’s the best part of the job, the membership,” Amsden said. “When you work at an association, we’re working for you guys. To be able to meet those people helps me to be excited about my job.”

Enjoy listening to Episode 13: Bringing America to the American Club, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you download your pods.

You can also catch up on all past episodes at wtba.org/podcast.

Last call for ARTBA National Convention in Kohler sponsorships, registrations

Your company has the chance to welcome hundreds of industry experts and guests to Wisconsin later this month.

The American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) is making a last call for sponsorship opportunities for its 2026 National Convention held Sept. 27-30 at The American Club in Kohler, Wis.

There are openings for Silver, Gold, Platinum and Double Platinum levels, in addition to a variety of exclusive opportunities. Perks include free registrations, recognition on-site, online, in printed materials and during various sessions and events.

Click HERE to peruse the sponsorship opportunities.

WTBA, Caterpillar, HNTB, and Walbec Group are all currently sponsoring the Convention in addition to other companies.

You can contact ARTBA's events director Catie Amsden HERE with questions.

Registration for the conference itself is still open, however the room block at The American Club and Tuesday’s golf outing at Whistling Straits' Irish Course are both sold out. Alternative lodging information is available on the registration page.

Interested in learning more before you register? Check out the video WTBA produced for ARTBA HERE.

Applications now OPEN for WTBA of Tomorrow scholarships

Receiving a WTBA of Tomorrow Scholarship can legitimately change a young person’s life, relieving a ton of financial pressure as they complete their degree.

The next batch of potentially life changing awards is open to applicants NOW.

WTBA will award two $5,000 Engineering scholarships for students attending four-year schools and two $3,000 Engineering Tech scholarships for those enrolled in technical colleges and trade schools.

Click for Scholarship Application Page

Applicants must submit two letters of recommendation, their latest school transcript, and a one-page cover letter detailing why they deserve a WTBA scholarship.

A new landing page at scholarships.wtba.org launched this year requires applicants to create a login and submit all documents through the portal. This allows students to complete their application on-demand and piece by piece instead of all at once.

Applications close Friday, Nov. 13, 2026. The WTBA of Tomorrow council will then review and select recipients. Winners will be notified in December and celebrated at the annual WTBA/WisDOT Contractor-Engineer Conference in January.

Have questions or need assistance? Reach out to Lane Kimble.

Good luck!

NEWS & NOTES

Associate Council to begin sharing industry expertise articles in October

You responded, now we intend to deliver.

That’s the mindset from the WTBA Associate Council, which will soon launch a monthly article focused on various areas of industry interest in the WTBA Weekly Update.

The Council met Tuesday in Madison to discuss results from this summer’s survey asking WTBA members what topics they’d like covered. Keep an eye out for the first monthly article in a special section in this newsletter launching in October.

WTBA staff will also develop a future page on WTBA.org with Associate resources, links to articles, news, and more.

The quarterly Associate Council meeting also included event sponsorship opportunities from Catherine DeMarco, a robust political update from Steve Baas and Elise Nelson, a discussion on the DBE program status led by Matt Grove, and an update on the Walsh v. WisDOT case from Jodi Jensen.

The Council is made up of 17 representatives from various member companies with expertise in equipment, materials, insurance, surety, finance and legal.

Current council chairman Jamie Vanderveldt (R&R Insurance) has been instrumental in leading the charge this year on developing the Associate Council article and webpage offerings to boost member benefits.

They’ll next meet in winter to assist the WTBA of Tomorrow with TEF/Scholarship Auction item collection.

Wisconsin, Minnesota leaders break ground on Blatnik Bridge replacement

Major construction to replace the Blatnik Bridge between Superior and Duluth doesn’t begin until next year, but the ceremonial first shovels of dirt turned this week.

Gov. Tony Evers and WisDOT Secretary Kristina Boardman joined Sen. Tammy Baldwin and leaders from Minnesota for a groundbreaking ceremony Monday morning.

“Replacing Blatnik Bridge is a once-in-a-generation infrastructure project that will not only create thousands of jobs but will support the 21st-century needs of our people, our workforces, and our economies,” Gov. Evers said in a statement.

Replacing the critical 65-year-old Blatnik Bridge will happen thanks to $1 billion from the USDOT in addition to $400 million commitments from both Wisconsin and Minnesota.

A joint-venture between Ames and Kraemer North America won the Design-Build contract in June thanks to a bid that came in well below the anticipated $1.8 billion cost. They beat out WTBA member Lunda Construction despite Lunda’s higher design score.

WisDOT leaders told the WTBA Board of Directors it’s possible the cost savings will result in increased borrowing power in future state budgets but that is left to be seen.

MnDOT released renderings and project information late last month.

More than 33,000 cars and trucks use the Blatnik Bridge daily to get between Wisconsin and Minnesota near the largest port on the Great Lakes. Nearly $4 billion of freight crosses the bridge annually.

Final designs will wrap up this winter with construction beginning in 2027. Crews will completely close and demolish the existing Blatnik, building the replacement along the same alignment with added safety features and improved traffic flow.

Major construction work is scheduled for completion in 2031.

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

MKE airport receiving $14.2 million from FAA to rehab taxiways

Wisconsin's largest airport will receive millions of dollars from a federal grant.

The FAA announced Thursday that Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE) is receiving $14.2 million to build and maintain its taxiways.

The grant disbursement is part of $481 million going to 191 airport projects in 36 states through the Airport Infrastructure Grants program. The AIG is part of the massive $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act, which expires Sept. 30.

Several other smaller "general aviation" airports in Wisconsin will receive a combined $2.5 million from the program for terminal reconstruction, runway and taxiway rehab, and rebuilding snow removal equipment buildings.

Of that, LaCrosse Regional is getting $1.2 million to rehab its aircraft rescue and firefighting building.

You can view the full list of state-by-state disbursements HERE.

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

House approves Continuing Resolution, giving lawmakers until Dec. 11 to work on federal budget

Reauthorization of the five-year surface transportation spending plan will need to wait at least until winter.

The House on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a continuing resolution to fund the federal government at existing levels through Dec. 11. President Donald Trump signed the extension into law Wednesday

The 370-48 bipartisan vote approved the funding extension the Senate easily passed Aug. 8. All Wisconsin Representatives and both Senators voted in favor of the bill, helping avoid a government shutdown as the fiscal year ends Sept. 30.

While the continuing resolution largely funds core transportation programs at existing levels, the measure cuts $9.5 billion in highway and bridge investments and about $4 billion in public transportation spending, according to ARTBA. This could lead to significant budget challenges on the state level if lawmakers choose to carry those cuts through the entire fiscal year.

The so-called Problem Solvers Caucus this week sent a letter urging lawmakers to restore that funding or risk projects being delayed or deferred.

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) said approving the continuing resolution this week was important to simply keep the government funded, but he remains committed to passing a new five-year surface transportation bill as soon as possible.

The House T&I Committee passed its version of a five-year spending plan in May but the Senate has yet to release text on its own bill.

“I look forward to moving this bill through the legislative process and working with the Senate to complete a long-term bill that invests in America’s roads, bridges, and other surface infrastructure, cuts red tape in the project process, and ensures that states have the certainty and flexibility to carry out the projects most critical to them,” Graves said in a statement.

Most construction work to pause for busy Labor Day weekend travel

Summer’s unofficial end this weekend won’t mean the end of the construction season.

Labor Day travelers will still see lane shifts, closures, and barrels along Wisconsin highways despite most construction work pausing for the holiday.

WisDOT expects the busiest times for traffic to be Friday between noon and 8 p.m. and Monday between 2 and 5 p.m.

The department released a list of major construction sites with potential impacts sorted by each region’s counties. You can review that list HERE and should also check 511wi.gov for current road conditions before you get in the car.

Have a safe and happy Labor Day weekend and travel safely through work zones and all roads as you go!