WISCONSIN — Gov. Tony Evers today delivered his weekly radio address highlighting the need for continued investments in improving Wisconsin’s roads, bridges, and infrastructure in the 2025-27 Biennial Budget and celebrating the kickoff of his sixth annual “Pothole Patrol” tour. Gov. Evers has previously gone on “Pothole Patrol” tours during his time in office, including in 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024, making this the fifth year in a row the governor has conducted his tour.
Earlier this week, Gov. Evers kicked off this year’s “Pothole Patrol” tour by filling potholes and repairing roads in Wausau and Ashland. Over the course of the next week, Gov. Evers will be visiting communities across the state to fill potholes and discuss his administration’s efforts to fix the darn roads.
After years of neglect under the previous administration, Gov. Evers has made historic investments in Wisconsin’s transportation infrastructure and has improved more than 8,600 miles of roads and 2,000 bridges statewide since 2019. In fact, Wisconsinites could drive from Wausau, Wisconsin, to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and back three times on the number of miles of roads fixed.
During his time in office, Gov. Evers has secured some of the largest investments in the state’s transportation budget in years. In 2023, Gov. Evers also secured historic increases in shared revenue for local communities, including a 20 percent increase for most municipalities statewide that will enable local governments to invest in community needs like local roads.
Building upon these efforts to fix Wisconsin’s local roads and infrastructure and build the 21st-century infrastructure needed to support a 21st-century economy, earlier this year, Gov. Evers’ 2025-27 Executive Budget included:
- Proposing more than $2.6 billion for the state highway rehabilitation program—an increase of $397 million compared to the last budget cycle;
- Directing $100 million for the Local Roads Improvement supplement program, which provides direct support to local and bridge projects throughout the state;
- Continuing the Agricultural Roads Improvement Program (ARIP) with a $50 million investment to support farmers and producers on rural roads;
- Modifying the local road improvement program and agricultural roads improvement programs to include replacement of specific aging bridges and culverts;
- Increasing funding by three percent in the General Transportation Aids program, providing the highest level of funding in state history for the program;
- Increasing funding for county forest road aids by three percent in each year in the biennium;
- Providing over $790 million for major highway development projects, including the expansion of I-41, the USH-51 project in southern Dane County, completing the I-43 expansion north of Milwaukee, and initial stages of the enumerated I-39-90-94 project; and
- Investing over $300.6 million to continue work on the I94 East/West project.
Earlier this month, the state’s Republican-controlled budget committee voted to strip over 600 proposals from Gov. Evers’ 2025-27 Executive Budget, including several transportation-related investments, such as:
- A $25 million transfer from the Conservation Fund Forestry Account to the Transportation Fund to fund 50 percent of the governor’s proposed ARIP investment;
- Over $16.2 million for Expressway Policing Aids;
- $20 million for Transit Capital Assistance Grants; and
- $60 million for Local Traffic Calming grants.
More information on the more than 600 proposals stripped from Gov. Evers’ 2025-27 Executive Budget is available here.
RADIO ADDRESS
Hey there, folks. Governor Tony Evers here.
When I ran for governor, I promised to fix the darn roads, and we’ve been hard at work ever since doing just that.
And our hard work is paying off—over the last six years, my administration has improved more than 8,600 miles of road and 2,000 bridges statewide.
Wisconsinites could drive from Wausau to Disney World and back—three times—on all the miles of roads fixed.
And I’ve fixed some of those darn roads my darn self. This week, I was glad to kick off my sixth “Pothole Patrol” statewide.
I’m hitting the road and filling potholes with local leaders on highways and neighborhood streets across the state.
Now, I’m sure you’ve all heard the old joke that there are only two seasons in Wisconsin: winter and construction season, but that’s a good thing!
And after years of leaders kicking the can down the road, during my time in office, we’ve secured some of the largest investments in our state’s transportation system, and as funding grows, so does the number of projects.
In fact, there are more than 300 state highway and bridge improvement projects scheduled across Wisconsin during this construction season.
Folks, our efforts to fix Wisconsin local roads and infrastructure are critical to building the 21st-century infrastructure needed to support a 21st-century economy.
And every pothole filled, road improved, or bridge reconstructed makes people’s lives a little better, a little easier, and a whole lot safer.
Fixing our roads and bridges must continue to be a top priority for our state, and it’s essential that our next state budget continues to invest in building the 21st-century infrastructure Wisconsin needs and deserve.
Thank you.
Last Update: May 23, 2025 11:55 am CDT
