For the Tomahawk Leader
WISCONSIN – Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) today announced that $320,600.00 in state funds will go towards improving more than 900 miles of county forest roads across 24 counties this year.
A release from Evers’ office said WisDOT administers the state’s County Forest Road Aids program, which was established to help defray county costs for the improvement and maintenance of public roads within county forests.
“To qualify for the state funding, roads must meet minimum design standards of a 16-foot surface width and a 20-foot roadway width; be located within county forests; be part of a comprehensive county forest land-use plan; and be open and used for travel,” the release stated. “The road cannot be a state or county trunk highway or town road and cannot receive General Transportation Aids (GTA).”
County Forest Road Aids are separate from the larger GTA program, which distributes funding to local governments from state-collected transportation revenues, helping offset the cost of county and municipal road construction, maintenance, traffic and other transportation-related costs.
According to data from Evers’ office, Lincoln County is slated to receive $9,493.14 for its 27.25 miles of eligible roads.
A total of $13,534.26 will be allocated to Oneida County, which has 38.85 miles of eligible roads.
Price County will receive $2,713.82 for its 7.79 miles of eligible roads, while $16,850.76 is earmarked for Vilas County’s 48.37 miles of eligible roads.
“My administration has been working hard at all levels to keep improving our transportation infrastructure to drive economic development, increase safety and improve the quality of life in every corner of Wisconsin,” Evers said. “Our county forest roads are an important part of how we make our abundant natural resources more accessible for outdoor recreation, business and tourism.”
“Since Governor Evers took office, WisDOT has improved 7,424 miles of road and 1,780 bridges,” said WisDOT Secretary Craig Thompson. “A good transportation network depends on investing in the first and last mile in every part of the state, and we appreciate working with local leaders to deliver infrastructure improvements.”
A complete list of the funding by county is available at www.tinyurl.com/3p6v4u9p.