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IN THIS WEEK'S EDITION

NEWS & NOTES

• WisDOT requests $500 million in next year's state budget to keep I-94 East-West project on schedule
• NEW VIDEO: WTBA members show lawmakers how SE Megas expansion project will benefit safety, traffic flow

EVENTS & REMINDERS

• Fall Clays nearly sold out! Just six teams remain -- snag yours today
• Annual Tribal Transportation Conference set for Oct. 27-29 at Potawatomi Hotel
• Deadline to register for Fall Meeting approaches

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

• Work zone crashes spike along 23-mile I-41 project
• SE Region celebrates completion of key stretch of freeway near Wauwatosa

SUICIDE PREVENTION

• Construction industry making progress on suicide prevention, but large disparity remains

WisDOT wants $499.5 million moved up into next year’s state budget to keep the I-94 East-West expansion in Milwaukee on schedule.

Current plans to let the project’s East Leg and Stadium Interchange during the 2029-31 budget have “constructability issues” and wouldn’t allow for proper traffic flow through the busy corridor.  

Moving this sizable chunk of funding forward in the budget cycle to 2027-29 would allow WisDOT to let the Eastbound Stadium Interchange portion a year early in 2028.

A vast majority ($496 million) of the request would come from borrowed money (bonding).

It’s important to note WisDOT’s request is only partially complete due to federal funding uncertainty.  

The federal budget, and the current five-year surface transportation law, both expire Sept. 30. Congress passed a stopgap measure to continue funding the government through early December but any deal to replace the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law appears far off.

Wisconsin typically relies on federal funding for 30% of its transportation budget.

WisDOT’s partial request also asks for a $72 million increase in the 2027-29 state budget for routine maintenance.  Counties and municipalities use this funding for upkeep of state highways within their jurisdiction.

The governor develops his own budget proposal based in-part on department requests.  He typically unveils his plan in February of budget years.  

Wisconsin will have a new governor in 2027 for the first time since Tony Evers took office in 2019 and party control of both the Assembly and Senate are up for grabs in November’s general election.

Bright lights lit the fresh concrete as headlights from cars zipped past overnight last Friday.

Soon, those cars will get to drive on a short stretch of permanent pavement poured for the first time in the massive I-94 East-West expansion.

Early West Leg prime contractor Zignego Group and WisDOT celebrated the project milestone, which paved about 1/4-mile of freeway between Hawley Road and Zablocki Drive in Milwaukee. 

But it’s just a singular step in an eight-year saga that began in earnest late last year.

Late last month, WTBA led a half-dozen state lawmakers on a tour of the early West and East Legs.

Many questions focused around traffic flow, business impacts, and access to Brewers games.

"We could get it done way faster if you could just shut off both ends and build it," Edgerton Contractors Director of Engineering Jordan Swanson said. "That's not really an option here."

More than 170,000 vehicles use the 3 1/2 mile corridor daily, making it one of the busiest freeway stretches in Wisconsin.

Crew members on the tour also stressed the importance of continuing to fund the $1.8 billion project in the upcoming state budgets and beyond.

Failure to do so could mean lengthy delays and even more expenses.

“Without that funding, we’re only (able to do) a partial expansion of the corridor, which doesn’t get the job done,” Zignego Project Manager Justin Thomas told WTBA. “We are out here every day working to complete it. Patience is the key for everyone involved.”

Click the thumbnail above to watch WTBA’s full recap video of the tour!

Registration costs $700 per foursome and includes three boxes of 12-gauge ammo for each shooter, a lunch buffet, and hosted awards reception with snacks and beverages following the shoot.

Click HERE to sign up now. You must be logged into your WTBA account to register as this is a members-only event.

See you at Milford in a little less than a month!

The worst area was between County Highway J in Kaukauna and Miners Way in De Pere, which saw a 54% increase in crashes. Traffic Engineer Josh Falk tells WBAY-TV in Green Bay that people are getting complacent at a time when traffic patterns can shift just between the morning and evening commutes.

Meanwhile, there's simply a lot more work going on in the corridor than in years past, says WisDOT.

“We’ve got large machinery operations going on the southbound side, everyone’s been pushed over to the northbound side, where that really wasn’t the case last year,” Falk said.

Upcoming Packers games, especially the home opener on Thursday, Sept. 24, will test people’s patience and compassion for crews who put their lives on the line to get the job done.

Work to expand I-41 and modernize about a dozen interchanges and overpasses began in 2024. The full project is scheduled for completion in 2030

(Photo courtesy WisDOT Southeast Region)

Zignego Group was the prime contractor on the $41.5 million project which began in March 2025. Crews repaved the freeway, placed new noise barriers, added auxiliary lanes, fixed bridges, and installed new lights and signs.

About 145,000 vehicles use that stretch of I-41 daily, adding to the work’s importance and a constant reminder to drive safely through work zones.  

The focus on I-41 was the Southeast Region’s piece of a season-long work zone safety messaging promoted by WisDOT, WTBA and industry partners. The region sent Milwaukee-area news outlets interviews and video clips highlighting some of the freeway construction and information about the WisDOT Freeway Service Team. 

All five state regions held various events or media opportunities throughout the spring and summer, beginning with the kickoff event in the Northeast Region in April. Seven people died and more than 600 were hurt in Wisconsin work zone crashes in 2025.

Work continues on I-41 from Silver Spring Drive to Good Hope Road. That segment of the freeway is scheduled to be finished in 2027.

Fewer construction workers are dying by suicide and drug overdoses, although the issues are still a big concern.

It’s why Construction Suicide Prevention Week (Sept. 14-18) chose the theme “Building on Progress” this year.

Deaths by suicide among construction workers fell 1.7% from 2023-2024 according to the Center for Construction Research and Training. The number of opioid overdoses also fell nearly 30% during that time.

Still, the construction industry sees 41.9 deaths per 100,000 workers due to suicide, making it one of the highest rates across all professions in the United States. Risk factors include a stigma of not talking about mental health and personal issues, drug and alcohol abuse, and a higher number of men making up the industry’s workforce.

People struggling with mental health, suicidal thoughts, or just needing someone to talk to are encouraged to call or text the 9-8-8 Lifeline, which is available 24/7/365.

Wisconsin’s 988 line received more than 11,200 calls in July, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. However, limited funding and staffing levels meant about one in five of those calls were answered by the national backup center.

Twelve states, including Illinois and Minnesota have created phone bill fees that fund their 988 programs.