Baldwin Helps Secure Over $13M in Federal Transportation Funding for Two Wisconsin Projects

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin congratulated the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) and the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin for being awarded over $6 million each in RAISE (Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity) grant funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The federal grant to WisDOT will help fund a Rock County project to repair and replace railroad bridge components and the funding for the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin will help construct a new multi-purpose transportation facility and to purchase vehicles and heavy equipment on tribal lands in Burnett County.

“Our infrastructure is the backbone of our economy, and Wisconsin’s transportation system is in critical need of improvements,” said Senator Baldwin. “As a member of the Senate Appropriations and Commerce committees, I am pleased to be able to support this grant program to ensure our roads, bridges and transportation facilities are fully funded to serve Wisconsinites for generations to come in Rock County and on our tribal lands in Burnett County. Now, with the passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill this week, we have committed to building on these investments to deliver more results for Wisconsin as we put people to work rebuilding our infrastructure.”

“Thank you to Sen. Tammy Baldwin for her efforts on Wisconsin’s behalf and to the U.S. Department of Transportation for recognizing the importance of this project, which helps hundreds of Wisconsin businesses that rely on the efficient transportation of goods,” WisDOT Secretary Craig Thompson said. “The RAISE grants are very competitive every year, and we encourage and support applications throughout Wisconsin. In addition to the exciting rail project in Janesville, I also want to congratulate the success of the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin for winning a $6.6 million RAISE grant to rebuild a multi-purpose transportation facility in northwest Wisconsin.”

The funding for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation will go toward the Janesville Bridges and Track Rehabilitation project in Rock County. This project will increase the lifespan and capacity of five critical railroad bridges which directly connect seven Wisconsin counties and their employers to the Chicago terminal and beyond. Senator Baldwin helped secure over $6.7 million, or 60% of the funding required, for the project through the federal RAISE program, with the remaining funds coming from WisDOT, Wisconsin & Southern Railroad and Wisconsin River Rail Transit Commission.

The $6.6 million RAISE grant awarded to the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin will help demolish an existing construction facility and construct a new multi-purpose transportation facility in Burnett county that will serve as a road equipment and fleet maintenance shop, heavy equipment storage garage, department offices, and a community storm shelter. The project will also purchase vehicles and heavy equipment needed to support road construction, maintenance and emergency management activities on tribal lands.

These projects are funded through the Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2021, which passed last December with Senator Baldwin’s support.

The RAISE Discretionary Grant program invests in road, rail, transit and port projects that promise to achieve national objectives. Previously known as the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) and Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary Grants, Congress has dedicated nearly $8.9 billion for twelve rounds of National Infrastructure Investments to fund projects that have a significant local or regional impact.