Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association

There was no avoiding the elephant in the room at Tuesday’s annual WTBA Fall Meeting in Madison.

The word “uncertainty” kept popping up.

“It’s probably a big reason why you’re here,” Board President Mike Hahn admitted.

There’s the toss up for governor and a change in administration guaranteed, control of the Legislature at stake, and big question marks over just how much funding will be in next year’s state budget for transportation.

“Uncertainty isn’t something to fear, it’s something to take on and tackle together,” Hahn said. “I can’t promise you’ll leave here with a bunch of guarantees but you’re in the right place to set yourselves, your friends, and colleagues on the right path.”

Over the next four hours, attendees saw the roadmap to that path start to take shape, hearing from WisDOT, state lawmakers, and some big name guests.

Thanks to the nearly 150 attendees who joined us, as well as our distinguished guest speakers (including Wisconsin Department of Transportation Secretary Boardman, DTIM Admin. Justin Shell, DTSD Admin. Rebecca Burkel, President Pro Tempore Sen. Patrick Testin, Assembly Majority Leader Rep. Tyler August, Sen. Brad Pfaff, Rep. Tip McGuire, Governor Tony Evers, and Congressman Tom Tiffany!)

Members will see a full recap in Friday morning's Weekly Update newsletter.

Governor Tony Evers proved he wasn’t playing politics when he quipped on the campaign trail that he intended to “fix the damn roads.”

Eight years later--after seeing his commitment to a strong transportation system and his push to repair and upgrade thousands of miles of highways, byways and bridges--WTBA extended a thank you with a nod to the game we’re certain Evers will play in retirement.

Executive Director Steve Baas and Board President Mike Hahn gifted Evers a customized wooden Euchre set during the WTBA Fall Meeting in Madison yesterday.

The hand-carved box with scoring pegs and a deck of cards was made by Milwaukee-area craftsman Ben Martin (Arts and Craftsmanship). Evers has often talked about his love of the classic Midwestern card game.

“I want to note that no matter who takes the (governor's) mansion and the East Wing, they are going to have enormous shoes to fill for your leadership,” Baas said. “You are heading into a well deserved rest and retirement. I hope you enjoy it.”

Gov. Evers notably restarted the Transportation Projects Commission upon taking office in 2019.

Over the past four budgets, Evers and Republicans ultimately approved freeway reconstructions on I-41, I-43, and I-39/90/94, authorized funding to begin the I-94 East-West corridor expansion, harnessed fees from electricity used to charge EVs, and created Wisconsin’s Design-Build pilot program.

“Fixing the damn roads was one of my top priorities and I’ve done my best to deliver on that promise,” Evers told the crowd. “I’m incredibly proud of the progress we collectively have done. None of that happens without the people in this room. Thank you.”

Anna Kakatsch wants to make the world a better place through food.

The senior from Manitowoc Lincoln High School placed second nationally in the food innovations competition at the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) Leadership Conference the past two years.

She also aims to become a biological systems engineer, which focuses on using technology to protect the world’s food, agriculture, water and energy sectors.

For now, though, she’s happy making the world a better place through safe driving.

Kakatsch was selected as the latest Work Zone Safe Wisconsin scholarship winner this week.

She received her $500 prize during the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) Board of Directors Meeting Wednesday in Kohler.

“A seemingly simple task such as driving can lead to horrific outcomes in mere seconds due to distractions,” Kakatsch told the crowd. “I’ve learned how distractions on the road and in work zones can affect families and entire communities.”

More than 6,000 people have successfully completed Work Zone Safe Wisconsin since WTBA led its launch in April 2024. A teen participant is selected at random each month to receive the $500 scholarship thanks to funding from the Wisconsin County Highway Association.

Kakatsch says she’ll put the $500 toward hopefully attending UW-Madison next fall. Before then, she hopes to give her fellow Wisconsin FCCLA members some additional food for thought by presenting about Work Zone Safe at upcoming state and regional conferences.

“Thank you so much for this honor,” Kakatsch added.

⛳ A tantalizingly close hole-in-one miss
🏌🏾‍♂️ A busted driver head on just the second hole of the day
⛅ Fantastic weather
😆 Lots of laughter, reminiscence and partnership-building...
💵 Plus, raising $10,000 for a great cause.

Construction Business Group's Annual Golf Outing yesterday at Trappers Turn had it all.

Huge thanks to Robb Kahl and his staff for the invite, hospitality, and good times!

WTBA is honored to help support an organization like Hogs for Heroes, which provides wounded veterans with their own Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

Winning a WTBA of Tomorrow Scholarship can be life changing, giving that extra financial boost to help a future industry leader finish their degree.

Are you just like last year's winners Abe, Andrew, Kaylee, and Wilson:

🚜 Passionate about transportation construction and design?🛣
⛑ Dedicated to starting your career here in Wisconsin? 🐮
🙌 The kind of person who puts others first? 😇

Then you'll want to apply!

We'll award two $5,000 (four-year schools) and two $3,000 (tech colleges) scholarships this winter.

Applications are open NOW through Friday, Nov. 13, 2026. Learn more at >>> https://scholarships.wtba.org.

Good luck!

Whether you're finishing up a day on the job site or getting ready for the holiday weekend, you probably have some windshield time ahead of you... 🚗 🚛 🚜

We've got a great way to pass the time: the latest episode of Road Trippin' With WTBA is out!

🇺🇸 This time, we're bringing America to The American Club. 🇺🇸

's National Convention will be in Kohler, Wis. in a little more than three weeks. That means industry leaders from across the country will gather in our state for fantastic conversations, food, festivities, GOLF, celebrations and more.

So... why Wisconsin? And what will be special about this event?

Steve and Lane sat down with ARTBA Sr. VP/Chief Economist (and self-proclaimed "nerd") Dr. Alison Black and fantastic Events Director Catie Amsden to find out. Oh, and there's some fun trivia and factoids mixed in there, too.

Enjoy via Apple Podcasts (below) or by searching "WTBA" wherever you get your podcasts!

Episode 13: Bringing America to the American Club Podcast Episode · Road Trippin' with WTBA · September 2 · 31m

More than 2.1 million fans have gone to see the Brewers at American Family Field so far this season.

Jordan Swanson knows plenty of them are also watching his work.

“The interchange is right outside their front door,” Swanson said of the Brewers’ home field.

“Lots of people come to this state to go to that stadium, so to be part of building a nice looking roadway that’s clean and updated and not falling apart is awesome.”

Swanson is the Director of Engineering for Edgerton Contractors, Inc., one of the main subcontractors on the massive I-94 East-West reconstruction.

He helped lead a project tour with prime contractor Zignego Company, WTBA staff, WisDOT, and a half-dozen state lawmakers Thursday as thousands of cars whooshed by along I-94. Many were headed to AmFam Field for a matinee against the Mariners.

“It’s tough. The constant noise of the interstate, the traffic, you’ve really got to focus on the work you’re doing because it’s kind of all consuming sometimes,” Swanson said.

Crews started work last fall to expand 3 ½ miles of the interstate from six to eight lanes, replace pavement and bridges that are 60 years old, and convert the Stadium Interchange into a diverging diamond. They won’t be done until at least 2033.

“If you could close the freeway completely, it would be way cheaper and way faster, but you can’t just shut traffic off,” Swanson said.

Beyond the logistical impossibilities of closing a major freeway that 175,000 vehicles use daily, there’s the financial challenge, Southeast Freeways Construction Chief Jason Roselle explained.

The state has to break up the $1.7 billion project into financially manageable chunks, with three or four more major portions left to bid.

“I know there’s construction fatigue,” Roselle told the group of lawmakers. “But it’s a really good thing that we’re getting all this funding and we’re able to do these projects because there’s a lot of infrastructure that needs work.”

Tour leaders stressed to lawmakers that continuing to fund the Southeast Mega program will be critical to keeping I-94 East-West on schedule.

“We’re building this for your safety and eventually this will help you get from point A to B faster,” Zignego Group Project Manager Justin Thomas said. “It will be a long corridor project, but we are out here every day and it’s going to be great when it’s done. Patience is key for everyone involved.”

Overall project completion is still seven years off.

Swanson understands that’s a long time–and a lot of Brewers seasons–for drivers to put up with cones, barricades and delays but he knows the finished product will turn frustration into fandom for anyone who uses I-94 for generations to come.

“When it’s nice and (the roadway design) makes sense and it feels safe, that’s a good thing. I want Wisconsin to look that way,” Swanson said. “When my friends come in from out of state, they’ll say, ‘Man, you’ve got nice roads,’ and I’ll be able to say I helped build those roads.”

(Thanks to State Representative Robyn Vining, Rep. Adam Neylon, Rep. Margaret Arney, Rep. Angelito Tenorio, and several other lawmaker staffers for taking the time to see this project up close with us yesterday!)

AW Oakes & Son generally keeps its fleet of easy-to-spot, bold yellow trucks within a one-hour radius of the home office in Racine.

“We kind of pride ourselves on being that neighborhood contractor,” project manager Connor McMahon explained. “These are the towns we live in.”

It doesn’t get much closer to home than Highway 31.

“We’re legitimately a stone’s throw from the job,” McMahon said.

Indeed, the 1.5-mile full reconstruct of the busy westside corridor is less than a mile away from the Oakes headquarters. McMahon led WTBA staff, Wisconsin State Representative Greta Neubauer, and Rep. Tip McGuire on a tour of the two-year project Monday afternoon.

As prime contractor, Oakes is handling about 80% of the work, doing its own grading, utilities, storm sewer, material processing and concrete on the $23.3 million job. The close proximity and ability to recycle materials nearby meant significant savings on trucking costs, helping Oakes secure the low bid.

“Us being so close was that $1.5 million advantage,” company president Max Oakes said. “You have a lot of outside contractors that are further away, buying from different resources. It is a hometown discount, per se.”

But checking out the Highway 31 progress–where fresh concrete pavement now runs along the northbound side–was actually the end of the tour.

Oakes and subcontractor Payne+Dolan (Walbec Group) first discussed transportation funding and workforce with the lawmakers, then showed them a mobile batch plant and crushing operations running in the company’s side lots.

“I love these tours,” said Rep. McGuire, who also sits on the budget-writing Joint Finance Committee. “It helps visualize the things we hear from DOT and we hear from stakeholders about why the level of funding matters.”

Consistent and long term state funding for transportation doesn’t only mean paychecks for industry workers like Oakes’ 265 employees, it also means investing in tools to do the work faster and better.

The company bought a brand new $825,000 Wirtgen SP 25 paver from Roland Machinery Company for this project. The hybrid machine allowed them to lay curb and gutter, then turn around and pave a lane for traffic in one sitting.

“The Oakes family is never afraid to invest in equipment and technology, so long as there’s a use,” McMahon said. “You can keep up on technology, you can keep up on investing in the future when you know the future is strong.”

The Highway 31 corridor’s future should be bright when main construction work is finished in 2027. It will feature safer intersections, better traffic flow, and fully connected sidewalks for the people–and companies–who call Racine home.

“We always go above and beyond to provide that good product because that’s going to be ours, too. Highway 31 is a great example of that,” McMahon said. “We’re right here, we’re going to be jumping on it and hauling up and down it for the next two decades and then some.”