Gov. Tony Evers, together with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), today announced the Village of Dickeyville in Grant County was awarded a $645,000 Transportation Economic Assistance (TEA) grant to assist in the redesign and modernization of Old Highway Road and the construction of an at-grade intersection along County HH. The project will allow A.Y. McDonald Mfg. Co. to expand operations to Wisconsin, open a new brass foundry and create 129 jobs in the southwestern region of the state.
“The TEA Grant program is vital in attracting and retaining businesses that contribute to the well-being of our state’s economy,” Gov. Evers said. “I’m proud to say since 2019 this program has invested more than $14 million in infrastructure improvements in communities across Wisconsin to aid in business development, creating 2,711 new jobs and helping to retain 5,623 jobs. Building a 21st-century infrastructure means investing resources to improve our safety, economy and quality of life and that’s what we’re doing.”
The Village of Dickeyville TEA grant will improve two access points for a new industrial park, where the foundry will be located. The reconstruction of Old Highway Road will include widening the road to 36-feet and improvements to drainage. The second access point will involve a new intersection along County HH, widened to 56.5-feet, including the addition of turn lanes and bypass lanes. Combining these infrastructure improvements create a key transportation corridor providing dual access to the new industrial park.
“We’re excited to see new businesses take advantage of these improvements and we welcome their presence and contributions in Wisconsin,” WisDOT Secretary Kristina Boardman said. “WisDOT will continue to support strategic investments in transportation projects like this one to make good on our mission to provide leadership in the development of a safe and efficient transportation system.”
In a joint statement, Village of Dickeyville President Matt Gantenbein and Clerk and Treasurer Donna Timmerman said: “We would like to thank the State of Wisconsin, WisDOT, Delta 3, A.Y. McDonald, J.C. Realty, Southwest Region Planning Commission, and the Village of Dickeyville for their support in this project. We appreciate the trust in our vision, mission and the initiatives we undertake towards the betterment of our industrial park.”
“A.Y. McDonald Mfg. Co. is very pleased to see this investment through the TEA program which will aid in enhancing needed access to and from our new Dickeyville foundry,” said Andy Shea, Director of A.Y. McDonald Mfg. Co.’s new foundry team.
A municipal or county unit of government must sponsor a TEA application. The project must have the local government’s endorsement, and it must benefit the public. More information about the program, including instructions to apply for a grant, can be found here.
