Craig Thompson, secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), and Randy Romanski, secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), recently spoke about the state’s strategic transportation investments in rural communities.
The state has 64,100 farms on 14.2 million acres that employ 11.8 percent of the state’s work force and accounts for more than 9 percent of the state’s total export value.
“Agriculture and transportation go hand-in-hand in Wisconsin. Without a quality network of roads and bridges, a cornerstone of our state’s economy will not thrive,” Thompson said. “I’m proud to join DATCP Secretary Romanski to showcase the state’s efforts to invest in our communities and put funding where it’s needed most. We remain committed to making strategic investments to benefit our agriculture partners and continue to grow that industry.”
Gov. Tony Evers’ biennial budget includes $100 million for the Local Road Improvement Program, and $150 million for the newly created Agricultural Road Improvement Program.
“Wisconsin’s $104.8 billion agriculture industry depends on sound infrastructure, as do consumers of their products,” Romanski said. “Gov. Evers and the legislature have prioritized investments in Wisconsin’s roads and bridges that support commerce throughout the state. From farm gate to dinner plate, infrastructure funding impacts every producer in the state, retailer of Wisconsin goods, and consumer of agricultural products.”