Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin announced that Wisconsin will receive the single largest dedicated bridge investment since the construction of the inter-state highway system, $225 million over the next five years, made possible by the passage of the bipartisan infrastructure law she voted for, which was signed into law by President Biden in November. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), 979 Wisconsin bridges are in poor condition and in need of repair.
“I voted for the bipartisan infrastructure legislation because it will create good paying jobs and put Wisconsin to work fixing our bridges,” said Senator Baldwin. “With 979 bridges in poor condition and in need of rebuilding, this investment will help Wisconsin fix the bridges most in need of repair. When we invest in fixing our bridges and roads, we are strengthening our supply chains, which will help lower the cost of goods for businesses and consumers.”
Wisconsin is slated to receive $45 million for Fiscal Year 2022 under that Bridge Formula Program. In addition to providing funds to states to replace, rehabilitate, preserve, protect, and construct highway bridges, the Bridge Formula Program has dedicated funding for Tribal transportation facility bridges as well as “off-system” bridges, locally owned facilities which are those not on the federal-aid highway system. Earlier this year, Senator Baldwin announced that Wisconsin is receiving a $996.8 million in Fiscal Year 2022 from the FHWA under bipartisan infrastructure bill, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This funding will help reduce the backlog of major repairs for highways and bridges and increase the number of communities that have strategies to reduce traffic deaths and serious injuries.
Baldwin previously announced Wisconsin will receive $997 million to upgrade Wisconsin roads and bridges, $142.7 million in infrastructure funding to rebuild the state’s water infrastructure, and at least $100 million to expand and improve broadband across the state. In total, the bipartisan infrastructure legislation is expected to provide Wisconsin with over $5 billion in federal highway formula funding over the next five years for highways and bridges. On an average annual basis, this is about 27 percent more than the State’s earlier Federal-aid highway formula funding.
An online version of this release is available here.
