Six Year Highway Improvement Program - Major Highway Development Subprogram

Six Year Highway Improvement Program

Majors subprogram

SHR subprogram

Project information

Contacts

Major Highway Development Subprogram

2012-2022 Major Projects Program

Major highway development projects are generally the most complex, costly and potentially controversial projects initiated by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT). They are long-term solutions to the most serious deficiencies on highly traveled segments of the highway system.

Beginning in 1981, the Legislature renewed a transportation bonding program to provide continuity of funding for this subprogram. In 1983, the Legislature created the Transportation Projects Commission (TPC) to evaluate the merits of candidate major projects and to recommend projects to the Governor and Legislature for statutory enumeration (i.e. authorization for construction).

The TPC consists of fifteen members including the Governor, three citizen members appointed by the Governor, five senators and five representatives appointed by the Legislature, and the secretary of transportation as a non-voting member. The commission's responsibility is to review candidate major projects and recommend projects to the Governor and the Legislature for statutory enumeration.

Major project definition

A major project is defined in Section 84.013(1)(a), Wis. Stats. There are two categories of major projects:

Category 1 – a project that has a total cost of more than $30,000,000 and satisfies any of the following:

Constructing a new highway 2.5 miles or more in length.
Reconstructing or reconditioning an existing highway by either:
- Relocating 2.5 miles or more of the existing highway, or
- Adding one or more lanes 5 miles or more in length to the existing highway.
Improving to freeway standards 10 miles or more of an existing divided highway having 2 or more lanes in either direction.

Exceptions to the above are:

A project providing an approach to a bridge over a river that forms a boundary of the state,
A high-cost state highway bridge project under s. 84.017, or
A southeast Wisconsin freeway megaproject under s. 84.0145.

Category 2 – a project that has a total cost of more than $75,000,000 and is not described in Category 1 above.

Further, the Department may not construct contiguous projects within 6 years, which when combined would meet the Major Project definition above. (See Section 84.013(4)(b).)

Selecting major projects

On the basis of its knowledge of emerging needs, WisDOT recommends candidate major projects to the TPC for evaluation.

Before projects are considered for enumeration, WisDOT conducts preliminary environmental and engineering studies so all projects brought before the TPC will have undergone a draft Environmental Impact Statement or Environmental Assessment. This ensures that only projects likely to be future major project candidates are considered for enumeration. The TPC must approve projects for environmental study.

The TPC holds hearings to receive public comments on the candidate projects. The department analyzes each candidate project and ranks them according to:

Safety and congestion
Economic benefit and cost factors
Intangibles such as community development and environmental impacts

The TPC, with WisDOT's analysis and public comments, recommends to the Governor and Legislature a list of major highway projects and an appropriate annual funding level to support the ongoing major highway program.

The Legislature may add or delete projects, and may change the recommended funding level from the TPC's recommendation.

2012-2022 Major Projects Program

The major projects construction timetable shows the most recent listing of projects authorized for construction by the Governor and Legislature.

The major projects financial status reports detail the current cost status and cost estimates for currently enumerated major highway projects. These reports also include details on the status of potential major highway projects under study.

Prior to the enactment of the 1989-91 Biennial Budget, the Major Highway Program's focus was improving critically deficient segments of the state trunk highway system.

The 1989-91 Biennial Budget broadened the focus of the Major Highway Program by also enumerating three entire highway corridors. The enumeration of entire highway corridors is part of the Corridors 2030 strategy to position Wisconsin to effectively compete in the national and world markets as well as provide Wisconsin highway users needed mobility into the 21st century.

Additional information:

Major highway projects financial status reports