Requiring the Department of Transportation to construct, and enumerating, a certain major highway project in Wood County if certain conditions are satisfied

What it would have done

Summary by the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Under current law, the Department of Transportation (DOT) administers a major highway projects program. With limited exceptions, including an exception for southeast Wisconsin freeway rehabilitation projects, a major highway project is a project having a total cost of more than $5,000,000 and involving: 1) construction of a new highway 2.5 miles or more in length; 2) reconstruction or reconditioning of an existing highway that relocates at least 2.5 miles of the highway or adds one or more lanes five miles or more in length to the highway; or 3) improvement of an existing multilane, divided highway to freeway standards. Any major highway project, unlike other highway construction projects undertaken by DOT, must generally receive the approval of the Transportation Projects Commission (TPC) and the legislature (generally referred to as "enumeration") before the project may be constructed. The TPC may not recommend approval of any major highway project prior to the completion by DOT, and review by the TPC, of a final environmental impact statement (EIS) or environmental assessment (EA) approved by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The legislature may not enumerate any major highway project unless the TPC has recommended approval of the project.

This bill requires DOT to commence, in the 2009-11 fiscal biennium, the preparation of an EIS or EA, as applicable, for a project involving the construction of a new bridge across the Wisconsin River and associated highway connecting CTH "Z" to STH 54/73 in Wood County. DOT must construct this project if: 1) DOT's final EIS or EA for the project is approved by the FHWA by a certain date; and 2) there are sufficient funds available in DOT's federal funds and local funds appropriations for major highway projects to fully fund construction of the project. Upon construction, the bridge and highway that are the subject of the project become part of the state trunk highway system.

Who's behind it

Julie M. Lassa, a Democrat, is its author⁠.

2 more lawmakers signed on in support⁠.

What it would cost

State agencies filed a cost estimate. Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.

• Fiscal Estimate From DOT