| MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers, together with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), today announced counties and municipalities across the state received more than $117 million in the second quarterly payments for 2026 General Transportation, Connecting Highway, and Expressway Policing Aids to repair, maintain, and improve local roads and connecting highways. The funding was provided by the 2025-27 Biennial Budget signed into law by Gov. Evers last summer, which resulted in the largest amount of funding for the General Transportation Aids (GTA) program in the state’s history.
“Whether it’s driving to work or school, doctor appointments, or visiting loved ones, every Wisconsinite deserves the 21st-century infrastructure needed to support their daily lives,” said Gov. Evers. “That’s why I’m proud of the work we’ve done over the last several years to fix the darn roads and to secure additional funding in our state budget so to continue to support our local governments as they make necessary improvements to the roads in their communities based on their unique needs and improve the quality of life here in our state for all of us.” The bipartisan 2025-27 Biennial Budget, signed by Gov. Evers last July, built upon the Evers Administration’s efforts to invest in the state’s transportation infrastructure with $1.1 billion in new funding for key transportation investments, including increasing the state’s GTA program by three percent in each year of the biennium. For calendar year 2026, local governments will receive more than $570 million in GTA financial assistance to support transportation-related projects. All told, municipalities will receive $33.2 million more over the next two fiscal years and counties will receive nearly $10 million more over the next two fiscal years. Total funding for all local programs makes up almost one-third of the state transportation budget. “Investment in Wisconsin’s local roads is an investment in safety, connectivity, and quality of life across our state,” said WisDOT Secretary Kristina Boardman. “Whether you’re from Ashland in northwest Wisconsin, Cudahy in the southeast, or any number of communities in between, this funding is reaching your area and making a real difference.” The second quarter payments, delivered in April, totaled $117,556,194
General Transportation Aids help cover the costs of constructing, maintaining, and operating roads and streets under local jurisdiction. Connecting Highway Aids reimburse municipalities for maintenance and traffic control of certain state highways within municipalities. Expressway Policing Aids help the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office with the costs of patrolling expressways within the county. Quarterly payments for cities, villages, and towns are sent the first Monday in January, April, July, and October. County payments are made in three installments, with 25 percent of the total annual payment on the first Monday in January; 50 percent on the first Monday in July; and 25 percent on the first Monday in October. A complete list of second quarter aid payments is available on WisDOT’s website. ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS IN THE 2025-27 BIENNIAL BUDGET TO SUPPORT WISCONSIN’S TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE After years of neglect under the previous administration, Gov. Evers has made fixing Wisconsin’s roads and bridges and making sure the state’s infrastructure can meet the needs of a 21st-century workforce and a 21st-century economy a top priority. Since 2019, the state has improved more than 9,600 miles of roads and 2,400 bridges statewide. In each of his biennial budgets, Gov. Evers has secured historic investments in Wisconsin’s transportation infrastructure, and improving Wisconsin’s roads and bridges continued to be a priority for the governor in the 2025-27 Biennial Budget. As a result of bipartisan budget negotiations, Gov. Evers secured a $150 million investment in the 2025-27 state budget to continue repairing and improving Wisconsin’s rural roads through the highly successful Agricultural Roads Improvement Program, created by Gov. Evers in the 2023-25 biennium. Earlier this month, Gov. Evers and WisDOT announced that through this funding, nearly $50 million in ARIP grants were awarded to support 29 new projects across 28 Wisconsin counties focused on improving local rural roads used by farmers and producers to transport agricultural and forestry products that support Wisconsin’s more than $116 billion agricultural industry statewide. In addition to securing a three percent increase in General Transportation Aids, as well as continued funding for ARIP, the final 2025-27 Biennial Budget signed by Gov. Evers includes:
The 2025-27 Biennial Budget also improves ongoing transportation fund revenues by generating nearly $200 million in additional revenue to improve the sustainability of the transportation fund. In addition to robust investments in transportation infrastructure statewide, the final 2025-27 Biennial Budget invests in local communities to ensure that they are able to address the unique needs of their constituents and bolster local infrastructure, including $14 million through municipal service payments to ensure local communities have the resources they need to meet basic and unique needs alike. |
| An online version of this release is available here. |
Gov. Evers, WisDOT Announce Over $117 Million for Local Road Improvements
Apr 20, 2026 | 12:08 PM
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