Friday, August 21, 2026

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NEWS & NOTES

I-94 East-West tour gives WTBA members chance to demonstrate challenges of working on state's highest-profile project

More than 2.1 million fans have gone to see the Brewers at American Family Field so far this season.

Jordan Swanson knows plenty of them are also watching his work.

“The interchange is right outside their front door,” Swanson said of the Brewers’ home field. “Lots of people come to this state to go to that stadium, so to be part of building a nice looking roadway that’s clean and updated and not falling apart is awesome.”

Swanson is the Director of Engineering for Edgerton Contractors, one of the main subcontractors on the massive I-94 East-West reconstruction.

He helped lead a project tour with WTBA staff, WisDOT, and a half-dozen state lawmakers Thursday as thousands of cars whooshed by along I-94. Many were headed to AmFam Field for a matinee against the Mariners.

The tour began in the project field office for a briefing and Q&A session before going to the early west leg of the project, where prime contractor Zignego Group is coordinating with Swanson's Edgerton Contractors and Zenith Tech crews.

Equipment operators and laborers work day and night along traffic that's limited to 50 MPH, divided by a lone concrete barrier wall.

“It’s tough. The constant noise of the interstate, the traffic, you’ve really got to focus on the work you’re doing because it’s kind of all consuming sometimes,” Swanson said.

Crews started work last fall to expand 3 ½ miles of the interstate from six to eight lanes, replace pavement and bridges that are 60 years old, and convert the Stadium Interchange into a diverging diamond. They won’t be done until at least 2033.

“If you could close the freeway completely, it would be way cheaper and way faster, but you can’t just shut traffic off,” Swanson said.

Beyond the logistical impossibilities of closing a major freeway that 175,000 vehicles use every day, there’s the financial challenge, Southeast Freeways Construction Chief Jason Roselle explained.

The state has to break up the $1.8 billion project into financially manageable chunks, with three or four more major portions left to bid.

“I know there’s construction fatigue,” Roselle told the group of lawmakers. “But it’s a really good thing that we’re getting all this funding and we’re able to do these projects because there’s a lot of infrastructure that needs work.”

Continuing to fund the Southeast Mega program will be critical to keeping I-94 East-West on schedule. WisDOT could offset potentially two years in delays and $22 million in added costs if lawmakers approve spending for other elements of the project in the next two state budgets, Secretary Kristina Boardman told the Transportation Projects Commission this month.

The I-94 work stretches to 27th Street in the east, where the tour group watched Zenith Tech, Inc. and a host of subs continue building a brand new overpass. They also learned about the significant utility hurdles crews face, such as moving ATC electrical lines and a vast array of underground pipes.

All told, it’s a complicated project that will take time, Zignego Group Project Manager Justin Thomas told lawmakers.

“We’re building this for your safety and eventually this will help you get from point A to B faster,” Thomas said. “It will be a long corridor project, but we are out here every day and it’s going to be great when it’s done. Patience is key for everyone involved.”

A lane reduction this week will allow crews to finish delicate retaining wall work along Wood National Cemetery and begin laying permanent concrete in the eastbound lanes. Paving those will take much of 2027, with westbound paving scheduled for 2028. Overall project completion is still seven years off.

Swanson understands that’s a long time–and a lot of Brewers seasons–for drivers to put up with cones, barricades and delays but he knows the finished product will turn frustration into fandom for anyone who uses I-94 for generations to come.

“When it’s nice and (the roadway design) makes sense and it feels safe, that’s a good thing. I want Wisconsin to look that way,” Swanson said. “When my friends come in from out of state, they’ll say, ‘Man, you’ve got nice roads,’ and I’ll be able to say I helped build those roads.”

Antigo Construction founder George Shinners passes away, funeral set for Aug. 27

WTBA regrets to inform you that George Shinners passed away Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026 after a brief battle with cancer.

Shinners, 87, founded Antigo Construction Inc. in 1978 and grew it into an international business with satellite offices in England. The company came to specialize in concrete breakers and recycling worldwide thanks to George’s leadership and vision.

His sons Matt and Chris now run the company, which is still headquartered in Antigo, Wis.

A mass of Christian burial will be held Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026 at 11 a.m. at St. John Catholic Church in Antigo. Visitation will be held prior to the service from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the church. A private burial will follow at Queen of Peace Cemetery.

Click HERE to read George's full obituary.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made in George’s name with the Ss. Mary & Hyacinth Charity Fund (email HERE), Living Waters International and the Boys and Girls Club of the Northwoods.

Shinners led a life of community service and volunteerism. He served on the Langlade County Board, the Antigo Police and Fire Commission, the Unified School District of Antigo Board of Education, was a trustee of St. John Catholic Church, and joined numerous other clubs and organizations, according to his online obituary.

Shinners was the proud father of five sons, 15 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

WTBA extends its condolences to Shinners’ family, friends, and colleagues.

Worker killed in I-41 construction zone crash

A tragic crash on I-41 this week killed a construction worker.

It happened Monday near DePere around 11:30 p.m. A semi-truck driver headed south on the freeway hit the worker, who was using a forklift in the construction zone.

The worker was 26 years old and from Chilton, according to the Wisconsin State Patrol. The semi driver, 53, was not hurt.

The crash marks the second time this year a construction worker was killed in a Wisconsin work zone. Forward Traffic operator Carlos Lopez was hit and killed by a suspected drunk driver April 30 on Highway 51 in Madison.

There have been more than 1,700 crashes, 621 injuries, and at least eight deaths in work zone crashes in 2026, according to preliminary data from the University of Wisconsin Traffic Operations and Safety Lab.

WTBA extends its condolences to the victim’s family, friends, and coworkers.

Debate continues of Federal Transportation Reauthorization

The two houses of Congress remain at odds on the starting point for the federal transportation reauthorization bill as the funding under the five-year Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act nears its end.

The current controversy involves the House version of the reauthorization setting the initial funding level at the same level as the IIJA while the Senate version removes $9.5 billion in “advanced appropriations” from its base funding level.

These sorts of disagreements between the houses are not uncommon and are often part of the positioning and bargaining strategy that goes into constructing major appropriations bills.

WTBA has been working closely with the ARTBA team in Washington to make the case to our federal delegation that we cannot afford to go backwards on funding for the highway and bridge programs.

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Hometown Discount: Oakes shows lawmakers how proximity, recycling save money during Racine project tour

A.W. Oakes & Son generally keeps its fleet of easy-to-spot, bold yellow trucks within a one-hour radius of the home office in Racine.

“We kind of pride ourselves on being that neighborhood contractor,” project manager Connor McMahon explained. “These are the towns we live in.”

It doesn’t get much closer to home than Highway 31.

“We’re legitimately a stone’s throw from the job,” McMahon said.

Indeed, the 1.5-mile full reconstruct of the busy westside corridor is less than a mile away from the Oakes headquarters. McMahon led WTBA staff, State Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer, and State Rep. Tip McGuire on a tour of the two-year project Monday afternoon.

As prime contractor, Oakes is handling about 80% of the work, doing its own grading, utilities, storm sewer, material processing and concrete on the $23.3 million job.

The close proximity and ability to recycle materials nearby meant significant savings on trucking costs, helping Oakes secure the low bid.

“Us being so close was that $1.5 million advantage,” company president Max Oakes said. “You have a lot of outside contractors that are further away, buying from different resources. It is a hometown discount, per se.”

But checking out the Highway 31 progress–where fresh concrete pavement now runs along the northbound side–was actually the end of the tour.

Oakes and subcontractor Payne+Dolan first discussed transportation funding and workforce with the lawmakers, then showed them a mobile batch plant and crushing operations running in the company’s side lots.

“I love these tours,” said Rep. McGuire, who also sits on the budget-writing Joint Finance Committee. “It helps visualize the things we hear from DOT and we hear from stakeholders about why the level of funding matters.”

Consistent and long term state funding for transportation doesn’t only mean paychecks for industry workers like Oakes’ 265 employees, it also means investing in tools to do the work faster and better.

The company bought a brand new $825,000 Wirtgen SP 25 paver from Roland Machinery for this project. The hybrid machine allowed them to lay curb and gutter, then turn around and pave a lane for traffic in one sitting.

“The Oakes family is never afraid to invest in equipment and technology, so long as there’s a use,” McMahon said. “You can keep up on technology, you can keep up on investing in the future when you know the future is strong.”

The Highway 31 corridor’s future should be bright when main construction work is finished in 2027. It will feature safer intersections, better traffic flow, and fully connected sidewalks for the people–and companies–who call Racine home.

“We always go above and beyond to provide that good product because that’s going to be ours, too. Highway 31 is a great example of that,” McMahon said. “We’re right here, we’re going to be jumping on it and hauling up and down it for the next two decades and then some.”

Hahn nominated to serve on ARTBA board of directors

Current WTBA Board President Mike Hahn has the chance to expand his leadership to the national level for the next several years.

Hahn is one of 28 nominees for the American Road and Transportation Builders Association’s (ARTBA) 2026-27 Board of Directors. Board members serve three-year terms, while a separate slate of executive officers serve one-year terms.

Voting members should have received an email from ARTBA President & CEO Dave Bauer earlier this week.

ARTBA members can vote on both groups’ nominees between now and Sept. 11.

The association will formally welcome all approved leaders at the end of its 2026 National Convention, which is set for Sept. 27-30 in Kohler, Wis. The room block for that event is sold out.

Hahn is Vice President of the Wisconsin Region for Lunda Construction. He became the 2026-27 WTBA Board President in February and will continue on the Board of Directors as Past President through early 2028.

Crews act quickly to fix freeway sinkhole after observant driver calls it in

Crews work to quickly patch a sinkhole on I-894 in Milwaukee County last week. (Photo courtesy Walbec Group)

WTBA members don’t just build and maintain our roads, they sometimes become lifelong caretakers.

An observant Walbec Group driver noticed a dangerous hole forming in the northbound lanes of I-894 in Milwaukee County last week. Brad Bettinger called 911 to report it, sparking an emergency response that involved WTBA member crews, WisDOT, and police, according to the Walbec Group’s website.

Payne+Dolan workers removed the pavement to find a faulty, abandoned underground utility space that created a sinkhole, FOX 6 News reported.

Walbec’s scheduling team helped coordinate an emergency response to mobilize crews within hours, block off three lanes of traffic to fill in the sinkhole, and rebuild the section of road.

Zignego Group provided concrete and workers to assist the process as well.

Great work by everyone involved!

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

Newly introduced Senate bill would study construction industry suicides

Lawmakers in the Senate want to study why so many construction workers die by suicide and find ways to prevent it.

Nevada Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto introduced the “Constructing the Path to Suicide Prevention Act” on August 6.

The bill would direct the Department of Health and Human Services through the CDC to study what risk factors construction workers uniquely face and report back to Congress within three years with suggestions on how to prevent future deaths.

Construction workers make up about 7% of the U.S. workforce but accounted for nearly 20% of all deaths by suicide in 2023, Safety & Health Magazine reports.

In addition to the obvious physical risks civil and vertical construction workers face, other factors include substance and alcohol use, financial instability, and sometimes limited access to employee assistance programs.

The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, depression, or just need someone to talk to, Wisconsin’s 988 Lifeline services are available 24/7/365. Call or text 988 or visit this website.

EVENTS & REMINDERS

Rescheduled WisDOT 'Safer Together' event set for Aug. 26

A family meets a Wisconsin State Patrol trooper during the 2025 Safer Together Outing (Courtesy WSP)

WisDOT has rescheduled a family-friendly industry safety event that was postponed earlier this year.

The department will host the Safer Together Community Event on Wednesday, Aug. 26 from 3-7 p.m. at Rennebohm Park in Madison.

The outing will feature children’s activities, educational booths, automated vehicle demos, drone inspections, work zone traffic control devices, and the opportunity to meet the State Patrol K-9 Team.

The event was originally set for June before severe weather led to its cancellation.

You can learn more and RSVP for the free event on its Facebook page HERE.

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