Thanks to TDA Fly-in Participants for a Successful Event

Earlier this month, TDA led a group of transportation leaders on a meaningful and productive visit to Washington, DC. We met with members of the Wisconsin delegation to emphasize the critical importance of transportation investment and the vital role federal funding plays in supporting our state’s economy and communities. We highlighted specific projects within their districts and the positive impacts on local businesses, industries, and travelers.

During our afternoon briefing, we were fortunate to hear from esteemed speakers, including WisDOT Secretary Kristina Boardman; Dean Franks, senior vice president of congressional relations at the American Road and Transportation Builders Association; and Mark Muriello, vice president of policy & government affairs for the International Bridge, Tunnel & Turnpike Association.

Staying true to tradition, our second day began with a breakfast featuring a speaker selected by TDA’s president. This year, Jerry Deschane, executive director of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, welcomed Brittney Kohler, legislative director of transportation and infrastructure at the National League of Cities.

In addition to engaging discussions and valuable meetings with our delegation, the event allowed us to reconnect, form new relationships, and have some fun.

Thank you to all the participants, sponsors, and speakers who made this event a success.

Fly-in presentations are available here.

Thank You Fly-in Sponsors

• AECOM 
• American Council of Engineering Companies of Wisconsin
• GRAEF
• HNTB Corporation
• International Union of Operating Engineers Local 139
• Mead & Hunt
• Miller-Bradford & Risberg, Inc.

• SEH
• Wisconsin Asphalt Pavement Association
• Wisconsin County Highway Association
• Wisconsin Earth Movers Association
• Wisconsin Laborers’ District Council
• Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association

The Joint Committee on Finance will address the state’s most pressing budget priorities in earnest, following the release of updated fiscal projections in mid-May. Fortunately, the TDA Drive-in aligns perfectly, offering an ideal opportunity to share our compelling closing message: Transportation delivers.

Join us for an engaging and impactful experience.

Tuesday, May 20

10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Morning Briefing and Lunch – Monona Terrace

12:30 to 2:30 p.m.

Office Visits/Literature Drop – State Capitol

Monday, May 19 – Cocktail Reception at the Great Dane

If you are in town the night before, please meet us at the Great Dane in downtown Madison (123 E Doty St, Madison, WI 53703) for drinks and finger foods. The reception will run from 4:30 to 7 p.m. 

Please RSVP

There is no fee for either event, but we'd appreciate an RSVP by Tuesday, May 13.

We know May is a busy time, and our Drive-in conflicts with several other events. If you can not attend, please consider sending someone from your organization.

Click here for event information and to RSVP.

Last month, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended that 30 owners of 68 bridges across 19 states conduct vulnerability assessments to determine the risk of bridge collapse from a vessel collision. This guidance comes as the investigation into Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse continues.

The NTSB concluded the Key Bridge, which collapsed after being struck by a containership in March of last year, was about 30 times above the acceptable risk threshold for critical bridges according to American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) guidance.

The NTSB list of 68 bridges includes Wisconsin's Leo Frigo Bridge in Green Bay, which is over 45 years old. The NTSB stressed that the report does not suggest that the 68 bridges are sure to collapse if struck, only that the bridge owners evaluate whether the bridges exceed the AASHTO acceptable level of risk. The NTSB also recommended that bridge owners implement a comprehensive risk reduction plan if the calculations indicate a bridge's risk level is above the AASHTO threshold.

In response to the NTSB's investigation of the 1980 Sunshine Skyway Bridge collapse in Florida, AASHTO developed a vulnerability assessment calculation for new bridges on the National Highway System over 30 years ago. AASHTO also recommended that all bridge owners conduct a vulnerability assessment on existing bridges to evaluate their risk of catastrophic collapse due to a vessel collision, reiterating that recommendation to states again in 2009.

Since 1994, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has required owners to design new bridges to minimize the risk of a catastrophic bridge collapse caused by a vessel collision, considering the size, speed, and other characteristics of vessels navigating the channel under the bridge.

Bridges are inspected by certified bridge engineers at least every two years, depending on their condition. The Leo Frigo Bridge was inspected last September and was found to be in fair condition.

WisDOT's vulnerability assessment will examine bridge geometry, clearance, channel size, channel depth, and current security features, such as dolphin structures, to redirect ships.

According to Josh Dietsche, Wisconsin DOT Bureau of Structures director, the channel the Leo Frigo goes over doesn’t accommodate ships the size of the one that collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge. “Both the width and the depth of the channel are only about 25 or 30 feet at its deepest, so it just doesn’t allow for super heavy and tall ships to go under there,” says Dietsche.

Plans have long been underway to reconstruct the aging I-794 in downtown Milwaukee. According to the Milwaukee Biz Times, WisDOT has shortlisted four alternatives for the freeway's future from a list of nine possibilities originally presented in 2023.

The remaining alternatives include an option to keep the highway as it is (replace in kind), two options to improve the layout while retaining the highway, and one option that focuses on highway removal. The improvement options would narrow the freeway’s footprint, open up more land for open space and development, and convert Clybourn Street into a two-way boulevard. The removal option would open up nine full blocks for development.

Detailed plans and analyses, including traffic analysis, freeway and local street configurations, multimodal accommodations, and initial land use and development information, will be shared at upcoming public meetings (dates forthcoming). This year, WisDOT and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) plan to issue a Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

According to the project website, a final decision for the future of I-794 will not be made until at least 2027.

Last week, the House of Representatives approved the Senate-passed FY 2025 budget resolution by a 216 to 214 vote. The measure doesn’t require the President’s signature. 

The resolution's approval unlocks the reconciliation process, allowing the Senate to pass a measure this summer that includes a multi-trillion-dollar tax cut, targeted spending increases, some offsetting spending cuts, and an increase to the federal debt limit without requiring a filibuster-proof 60-vote majority.

House and Senate committees will begin crafting legislation, aiming to enact it by mid-summer before the U.S. reaches its debt limit in August or September.

The USDOT's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released its early estimates of 2024 nationwide traffic fatalities, projecting a 3.8% decrease from 2023. Projections show that 39,345 people died in traffic crashes in 2024, compared to the 40,901 fatalities reported in 2023.

This is the first time since 2020 that the number of fatalities fell below 40,000. The fourth quarter of 2024 also marked the 11th consecutive quarterly decrease in traffic fatalities.

Wisconsin's traffic fatality numbers showed a modest decrease. The state recorded 583 traffic deaths in 2023 and is projected to have 575 fatalities in 2024, representing a 1.4% decrease.

The 2025 National Work Zone Awareness Week runs April 21 - 25 with the theme “Respect the Zone – So We All Get Home.” This week is an opportunity to spread the message that everyone plays a role in work zone safety, with a reminder to put down your phone, slow down, and stay alert when approaching and passing through a roadway work zone.

In 2022, 891 people, including 94 workers, were killed in 821 fatal work zone crashes according to the most recent national data from workzonesafetey.org.

Wisconsin work zones saw more than 10,600 crashes, causing 64 deaths and more than 3,800 injuries, during the five years from 2019 to 2023. The latest numbers will likely be included in WisDOT's 2025 Work Zone Awareness Week press release.

Support National Work Zone Awareness Week:

• National kickoff event: April 22
• Go Orange Day: April 23
• Social media storm: April 24 #NWZAW #Orange4Safety
• Moment of silence: April 25 to remember the people lost in a work zone incident

A SUMMARY OF THE MOST RECENT NATIONAL DATA AVAILABLE:

April Project Spotlight

$10 Million in Harbor Assistance Grants to support economic growth

Vital to Wisconsin’s economy, ports serve as hubs for transportation, commerce, and industry, connecting the state to national and global markets through the Great Lakes and Mississippi River systems. These ports facilitate the efficient movement of commodities and support shipbuilding, agriculture, manufacturing, recreation, tourism, and many other industries, while generating jobs and economic activity.

The state will invest $10 million to modernize the infrastructure of ports in Marinette, La Crosse, Green Bay, Manitowoc, and La Pointe. These projects will help strengthen supply chain reliability, support waterborne freight, and buoy economic development. 

Read more.

Help us tell your story!

We’ve launched a user-friendly portal where you can upload an image and a few basic details. Our team can then write a short narrative that captures the significance of the projects in your part of the state.  

Portal link

Thank you to our 2025 Organizational Sponsors

TDA Welcomes New Members

Hobas Pipe USA, Inc. opened its first U.S. office in 1987 and is dedicated to engineering and manufacturing pipe solutions for municipalities that demand safe and reliable infrastructure.

Hobas leverages market-leading technologies to produce a wide variety of critical solutions for municipal wet infrastructure for clients across the United States and Canada. Visit hobaspipe.com.

RYDE Racine serves as the public transportation system for eastern Racine County.

The RYDE Racine comprehensive system provides an extensive network of nearly 700 stops spanning from the shores of Lake Michigan to the western fringes of Interstate 94. It encompasses the region between Four Mile Road in the north and Lake Park and Georgetown in the south, ensuring convenient and accessible mobility for the community. Visit ryderacine.com.

TDA Events

• Madison Drive-in, May 20
• Annual Meeting, Nov. 13

Upcoming Events

The Construction Business Group Conference will take place April 23-24 at the Madison Club.

This event features an amazing lineup of speakers and topics, with multiple socialization opportunities. Attendees of the conference include building trade professionals, contractor association staff, contractor executives, utility representatives, and government officials.

More details and registration information are available here.

If you would like TDA to consider including your organization's update or event in an upcoming newsletter, please forward information to Luke Pearson at luke.pearson@tdawisconsin.org.