Douglas County communities receive nearly $2M in transportation aid

Douglas County and the communities within will receive nearly $2 million in transportation aid for local governments this year, according to figures released from the state on Tuesday, July 7.

Douglas County will receive almost $601,429 in General Transportation Aid, and the city of Superior will receive almost $563,108 between General Transportation Aid and Connecting Highways Aid, the figures show .

The remaining $819,517 is divided among the county's 16 towns and five villages based on a formula.

It’s part of more than $160 million in aid included in Gov. Tony Evers’ budget for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation for the 2019-21 biennial budget, a news release said.

Evers and WisDOT Secretary-designee Craig Thompson announced on Tuesday that the first quarterly payments will be made this week for General Transportation Aids, Connecting Highway Aids and Expressway Policing Aids.

“As our economy continues to recover from the effects of this pandemic, it is critically important for us to invest in our state’s infrastructure,” Evers said in the news release.

The local assistance increase is part of more than $465 million in new funding for transportation projects included in the governor's 2019-21 state budget, a news release said. The budget included $320 million in new funding for the State Highway Rehabilitation program, $1.9 million more for local roads, and provided $75 million in one-time funding for the Multimodal Local Supplement grant program.

“General transportation aids are a significant portion of the money local communities need to maintain their roads,” Thompson said. “Maintaining our local roads is a vital part of WisDOT’s mission.”

General Transportation Aids help cover the costs of constructing, maintaining and operating roads and streets under local jurisdiction. Connecting Highway Aids reimburse municipalities for maintenance and traffic control of certain state highways within municipalities.

Quarterly payments for cities, towns and villages are sent the first Monday in January, April, July and October. County payments are made in three installments, with 25% of the total annual payment on the first Monday in January; 50% on the first Monday in July; and 25% on the first Monday in October.

1/2: Cones line 28th Street in Superior Wednesday, July 8 one day after Gov. Tony Evers announced the city would receive nearly $484,585 in General Transportation Aid to help with road maintenance costs in Superior. The city will also receive almost $78,523 in Connecting Highways Aid from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. (Jed Carlson / jcarlson@superiortelegram.com)

2/2: Cones line 28th Street in Superior Wednesday, July 8. Gov. Tony Evers announced the city would receive nearly $484,585 in General Transportation Aid to help with road maintenance costs in Superior. The city will also receive almost $78,523 in Connecting Highways Aid from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.. (Jed Carlson / jcarlson@superiortelegram.com)