Wisconsin group identifies rural bridge problems

The Wisconsin Transportation Development Association has identified rural bridges that need repair or replacement.

Executive Director Debby Jackson tells Brownfield Wisconsin has seventeen thousand culverts or bridges shorter than twenty feet, so they’re not officially a bridge by state or federal statutes. “But, you can’t fix an issue if you don’t know how many structures there are, you don’t know their condition, and so our first step was going to the legislature in the 23-25 budget and asking for 12.5 million dollars for the simple goal of inventorying and assessing these structures.”

Jackson says over sixteen-hundred of the structures are in poor condition, and have caused problems for delivering farm goods and emergency services.  She says having a complete inventory now allows them to approach the legislature with real numbers, real economic impact, and a request to fund bridge work. “They’re not really eligible for federal funding. They don’t have a state-designated funding source, and so, what we see is that local communities have a very hard time replacing them in their current budgets.”...