Newly created program supports road improvement projects in rural, agricultural communities

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers, together with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), on Aug 12th, announced that application materials for the second project solicitation cycle of the Agricultural Roads Improvement Program (ARIP) are now available. Approximately $100 million in state funding will be awarded through the second ARIP solicitation cycle for eligible infrastructure projects to support Wisconsin’s farmers, producers, and agricultural industries. 

“Our state’s agricultural industry is part of our way of life and culture here in Wisconsin, and farmers and producers are a driving force who help ensure our state and our economy continue to thrive,” said Gov. Evers. “This program is about more than just improving infrastructure—it’s about supporting our farmers and producers and their success, strengthening our economy, and ensuring that the agricultural industry remains strong and prosperous for generations to come.”

This comes as Gov. Evers and WisDOT visited communities across the state earlier this summer that had received funding in the first round of awards to hear about how the funding was helping local farmers and producers. The first ARIP solicitation awarded nearly $50 million in state investments to help support 37 projects across 28 Wisconsin counties. A full list of award recipients is available here. Photos of the governor’s visits are available here and here.

“When we support Wisconsin’s farmers, we strengthen the backbone of our state’s economy,” said WisDOT Secretary Craig Thompson. “We’re confident this investment will make a real difference in rural communities by making transport of agricultural goods less costly and more efficient. We encourage local governments to take advantage of this opportunity and submit applications for worthy projects.”

In June 2023, Gov. Evers signed 2023 Wisconsin Act 13 to expand the Local Roads Improvement Program to include agricultural road improvement projects by creating the ARIP. Weeks later, in July 2023, Gov. Evers signed the 2023-25 biennial budget, which provided $150 million for ARIP to improve the transportation infrastructure that provides access to agricultural lands or facilities.

More than 5.3 million tons of agricultural products, valued at $1.6 billion, are transported over these roads every year. A wide range of industries will benefit from these ARIP improvements, including forestry, dairy, animal, grain and feed, manure and fertilizer, ethanol, potato and other vegetable, cranberry, and more. These industries support more than 2,300 agricultural and forestry jobs in Wisconsin.

ARIP is a reimbursement program, which may pay up to a maximum of 90 percent of total eligible project costs, with the balance of the eligible costs funded by the local government where the work is performed.

ARIP second solicitation application materials will be hosted on AccessGov, an online application site. Additional application materials, along with a direct link to the AccessGov portal, are available on the WisDOT website here. The ARIP second solicitation deadline is 5 p.m. on Mon., Sept. 30, 2024.

To be eligible for funding, projects needed to meet the following criteria:

• The project highway, or the highway where the bridge or culvert is located is functionally classified by the department as a local road or minor collector.
• The highway, bridge, or culvert provides access to agricultural lands or facilities used to produce agricultural goods, including forest products.
• The highway, bridge, or culvert is used by at least one agricultural producer.
• The highway is designated as a class “B” highway due to structural deficiencies or is subject to a posted weight limitation at least annually.
• After the improvement, the highway will not be designated as a class “B” highway and will not be subject to a posted weight limitation other than under extraordinary or emergency circumstances.