Friday, October 23, 2026

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

NEWS & NOTES

Crowley, Tiffany differ on transportation funding during only gubernatorial debate

Milwaukee Co. Executive David Crowley (left) and Congressman Tom Tiffany shake hands before their gubernatorial debate Wednesday night in Milwaukee. (Photo courtesy Angela Major / WPR)

Both candidates for governor pledge to provide more money for transportation if elected, but Tom Tiffany and David Crowley differ greatly on how to actually do that.

In their only debate before the election, Tiffany said he would oppose any fee increases, tolling, and indexing the gas tax for inflation to pay for roads. Instead, the Congressman says he would find money for transportation "via the budgeting process" while also returning Wisconsin’s $3 billion budget surplus to taxpayers.

Tiffany pointed at the massive I-94 East-West expansion project as an example of the need for more funding to keep projects on schedule.

"As governor, it is not going to take ten years. It's not going to take eight years to finish that stretch," Tiffany said. "We should not have transportation projects that take eight years for three-and-a-half miles and they will not when I become governor because we are going to put additional money into transportation."

Crowley, meanwhile, said he would support user fee increases and looking at tolling but would not support a gas tax increase. The Milwaukee County Executive called out Tiffany for not having a plan to fund transportation.

“How are you going to get the revenues when you continuously cut the amount of revenue coming into government?” Crowley said during the hour-long debate Wednesday night on WISN-TV. "We have to work with everyone when it comes down to how we're going to fund government as a whole because we rely on it. We rely on good bridges and good roads."

WTBA analysis shows the state faces a more than $1 billion shortfall headed into the 2027-29 budget process just to continue current projects and maintain the state’s rehabilitation and local roads programs. The Transportation Fund's primary source of revenue--the gas tax--hasn't changed since lawmakers froze it at 30.9 cents in 2006.

You can watch the full debate produced by WISN HERE. The portion on transportation funding begins at the 25:20 mark.

The gubernatorial election is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

EVENTS & REMINDERS

General registration NOW OPEN for 2027 Annual Convention in Scottsdale

If you’ve already reserved your room and booked your flight to Scottsdale for the 2027 WTBA Annual Convention, you’re in good shape.

Now, make sure to check the last big thing off your list.

Registration for the Annual Convention is now OPEN! Click HERE for details.

Member tickets ($1,400) include entrance to all three days of General Sessions, breakfast Monday-Wednesday, nightly hospitality bars, the President’s Welcome Reception, annual Scholarship Auction Dinner, and Closing Banquet.

Spouses and guests receive the same access for $700 each. Children under 17 are free, but you must register them as well.

Attendees can also choose from optional group activities (golf at TPC Scottsdale, a desert UTV adventure, Hike and Hops, or Old Town Scottsdale food and walking tour) for an added fee.

Once you’ve signed up for the convention, make sure to check out the Countdown page. You’ll find all the information you need to make the Annual Convention an incredible week.

We can’t wait to see you in the sunny Sonoran Desert Feb. 21-25, 2027!

CE Conference registrations begin filling up

Tickets for WTBA’s largest event of the year are already starting to fly.

Make sure you’re one of the expected 700+ people in the room Jan. 14-15, 2027 for the WTBA/WisDOT Contractor-Engineer Conference.

Attendees can choose to book the full two-day conference plus awards banquet, conference only, or banquet only. WTBA members pay a discounted rate of $250 for the top-tier ticket.

Click HERE for the registration page.

The C-E Conference features general sessions with state and federal industry leaders, important updates on Major and SE Mega projects, breakout rooms with Q&A opportunities, a hosted reception, scholarship and awards banquet and much more.

Planning to stay both days? We encourage you to book your room at the Kalahari early to ensure you get the WTBA group rate. Click HERE for Kalahari booking information.

Stay tuned for a full agenda coming soon…

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

'Every one of us can step forward instead of standing back': Lifesaving story helps AHA raise $33,000 for Hard Hats with Heart

As a picture-perfect autumn sunset lit the sky ablaze Thursday night over Madison, Tim Quick glanced at the horizon and savored it a bit before continuing his speech.

“Ordinary days don’t feel so ordinary anymore,” Quick said.

The professional plumber from south-central Wisconsin was participating in the Door County Triathlon last summer when he suddenly felt like passing out. Quick crashed to the ground off his bike and wasn’t breathing.

His heart stopped for six minutes.

Fellow triathlete and professional paramedic Ross Williams just happened to be competing right behind Quick.

“I stopped being a triathlete at that time and became a paramedic,” Williams said.

He started hands-only CPR and flagged down a sheriff’s deputy who brought an automated external defibrillator.

A zap from the AED and several more minutes of Williams doing chest compressions brought Tim back to life.

“You are my angel, buddy, I thank you for that," Quick told Williams before giving him a hug. “I get to keep living my story because of you.”

Tim’s story was the showstopping moment during the American Heart Association’s annual “Hard Hats with Heart” fundraiser.

Several hundred people from across the civil and vertical construction industries packed an airplane hangar at the Dane County Regional Airport to enjoy refreshments, hear Tim’s message, and bid on auction items to support the non-profit’s mission.

Proceeds from “Hard Hats” go toward teaching construction workers and companies across Wisconsin how to do hands-only CPR and use AEDs, lead heart-healthy lifestyles, and save lives in a line of work where stress and unhealthy habits often lead to emergencies.

“Most people will never become a paramedic but every one of us can learn hands-only CPR, everyone can know where an AED is located,” Williams told the crowd. “Every one of us can step forward instead of standing back.”

JT Engineering serves as the presenting sponsor and other WTBA members, including M3 Insurance, support the event.

WTBA of Tomorrow member Brooklyn Hilton was this year’s co-chair. WTBA’s Lane Kimble provided in-kind photography services.

The live auction, including a bidding battle for a signed Jacob Misiorowski jersey, raised more than $33,000 for the AHA, which doesn’t include the silent auction proceeds. That’s a big boost for an organization–and an industry–Tim Quick certainly appreciates.

“People sometimes ask what lesson I took from all of this,” Quick said. “For me, it’s simple. We never know when we’re going to need each other.”

Gov. Evers, WisDOT celebrate completion of Southbridge Road Interchange

(Photo courtesy WisDOT)

A major piece of the multi-year expansion of I-41 through the Fox Valley will open next week.

Gov. Tony Evers joined WisDOT Secretary Kristina Boardman and Green Bay-area leaders Wednesday morning to cut the ribbon on the newly finished Southbridge Road Interchange.

WTBA member Vinton Construction was the prime contractor on the $17 million project, which created several roundabouts along the freeway overpass and will connect to the future South Bridge, providing another key crossing over the Fox River.

"It's one of those good stories frankly and yes it's going to make a difference in safety and making sure we're continuing to do good things around our economy. It's a good day," Evers told FOX 11 News during a news conference.

The Southbridge Interchange sits at the northernmost point of the 23-mile project to expand I-41 from four to six lanes and reconstruct more than a dozen interchanges along the way.

WisDOT will hold public involvement meetings in the coming weeks to update people on the overall project status and what work is coming in 2027.

An in-person event will be Tuesday, Oct. 27 from 5-7 p.m. at the D.J. Bordini Center in Appleton.

A virtual option is set for Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 5 p.m.

Longtime WTBA-backer Wise promoted to president of Wingra Stone

A longtime Wisconsin material supply executive and active WTBA member is taking on an expanded leadership role.

Travis Wise was named President of Wingra Stone & Redi-Mix this week.

Wise has been Wingra’s vice president and general manager for the past seven years.

He joined the company as operations manager in 2018 after 12 years with Vulcan Materials Company.

Wise served on the WTBA Associate Council and organized the Associate Council Fall Retreat at Red Crown Lodge in 2023. He invited WTBA on a tour of Wingra's plant in Madison with State Sen. Dianne Hesselbein in 2025.

Wise regularly attends WTBA events and has often gone above and beyond to participate in WTBA PAC events and fundraisers.

He is also the current president of the Wisconsin Ready Mixed Concrete Association.

Fellow Wingra colleague Nick Carpenter was also promoted to Vice President / Chief Financial Officer.

Company owner Bob Shea intends to stay on as CEO.

“As time passes and new leaders emerge, it is important to solidify the new leaders with appropriate titles,” Shea said in a memo to staff. “Travis and Nick are both experienced and very capable of carrying out the associated responsibilities. We look forward to continuing to work with all of you.”

Congratulations to Travis and Nick on their new roles!

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

REMINDER: Upgrades coming to AASHTOWare payroll reporting system

WisDOT is upgrading its AASHTOWare Project Civil Rights and Labor (AWP CRL) system to version 5.06 this week.

The system will be temporarily unavailable for all contractors who use AWP CRL to submit certified payroll reports during the upgrade from Thursday, Oct. 22 at 5 p.m.through approximately 12 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23.

The upgrade is providing several new capabilities, which are listed below.

Click HERE for sample screenshots of what users will see after the upgrade.

Manual Payroll Entry

You will be warned when entering a payroll that has a previously assigned payroll number with different payroll begin and end dates.
Only project IDs with an assigned wage decision can be selected, reducing error when there are multiple associated project IDs.
Labor Classification selection will be limited to what is available in the Wage Decision.
Adds an Additional OT Wage Rate in addition to the existing Straight Time and Overtime Rates. This will reduce the need for creating multiple employee blocks for the same employee.
Adds Fringe Rate fields which apply to the Additional OT and Regular OT hours.
Adds ability to enter daily hours for Additional OT as well as Straight and OT hours.

Manual Entry, Excel Template, and XML Submission

Allow entry of Medicare tax deduction separate from FICA.
Some payroll exceptions (rejections) will be quickly returned to you without the need for Compliance Specialist intervention.

If you have immediate questions about the AWP CRL payroll process, please contact the project’s Compliance Specialist or WisDOT Labor Compliance at DOTLaborCompliance@dot.wi.gov. Include “AWP CRL” and the contract number or project ID in the subject line.

If your company is no longer in business, please notify WisDOT of this by replying to this email and CC’ing the AWP Support mailbox at AWPSupport@dot.wi.gov.

WisDOT wins award for new one-stop-shop Projects Hub webpage

A new award-winning map of Wisconsin shows highways highlighted in green and gold (Go Pack Go!), providing people with a one-stop-shop to get the latest on construction projects.

WisDOT recently launched its Projects Hub website, which won a 2026 Government Experience Award from the Center for Digital Government.

The hub allows users to zoom in and out of the entire state, clicking on colored lines that show each project either under active construction or in contract status. The page then links users to project-specific pages that provide a litany of information about the work.

WisDOT will soon begin to phase out its “legacy pages” used to provide details about state highway work.

“The GovX recognition is an honor that speaks to our teams' work bringing forward new ideas, leveraging technology and improving how we share information about our projects,” Secretary Kristina Boardman said in a news release.