US Senate spending plan includes $62 million for Wis. infrastructure

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A bipartisan spending bill passed by the U.S. Senate this week would put $62 million toward Wisconsin road, rail and bridge projects

The plan is part of a $154.2 billion, four-bill spending package approved by the Senate this week. The money for Wisconsin would from from the federal Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill that’s proposed for fiscal year 2019.

The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate must still reconcile their differing versions of the spending plan, then send the final product on to President Donald Trump for his signature.

Senator Tammy Baldwin, who is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, praised the spending plan in a statement on Friday, saying it would drive economic growth.

“These investments will ensure that Wisconsin roads, bridges and railways can continue to play a vital role in helping manufacturers and small businesses transport their products to the markets they serve, connecting workers to job opportunities and strengthening our Made in Wisconsin economy,” Baldwin said in a statement.

The proposal would put $45.8 million worth of Federal Highway Administration money to Wisconsin road and bridge projects, $10.5 million to bridge repairs and $2.3 million to railway crossings at highways.

An additional $3 million, drawn from the Federal Transit Administration’s State of Good Repair and Buses and Bus Facilities programs, would be used to improve Wisconsin’s public-transport system.

This year alone, Wisconsin has used an additional $227.4 million worth of federal money to pay for local bridge improvements and to speed up the expansion of a stretch of Interstate 94 near the site of the massive factory Foxconn Technology Group is building in Mount Pleasant.

The latest round of proposed federal money — which passed the senate 96-6 — would also give at-risk Republican and Democratic senators alike something to brag about as they look forward to the general election in November.

Craig Thompson, director of the Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin, said Wisconsin will most likely benefit from more infrastructure spending from the federal government this year. But even as roads, bridges and the general transportation system remain a priority for Republicans and Democrats alike, federal spending continues to be done in a patchwork way.

“A one-time bump is nice but we need to get to something that’s sustained so that we can plan,” Thompson said. Follow @natebeck9