BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The pace of the highly anticipated and long-debated southern bridge in Brown County could be accelerating.
A recently passed budget motion would direct more money to the project, but it’s a proposal similar to one Governor Tony Evers vetoed in his budget two years ago.
The bridge would go through southern De Pere at Rockland Road on the east side and Red Maple Road on the west side. It would provide a quicker connection between southern Brown County and I-41.
“The pieces of the puzzle are coming together,” said Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach of the project, which was first brought up about 60 years ago.
Funding is already in place for an interchange off of I-41 at Southbridge Road. It’s being built as part of the I-41 expansion to six lanes.
The recently passed motion would direct the Department of Transportation to build the roads connecting the interchange to the future bridge.
“If you’re going to have all the connecting roads built, then the bridge is going to happen shortly thereafter,” said State Sen. Eric Wimberger, R-Green Bay.
Sen. Wimberger introduced the budget motion. He tells FOX 11 it’s the exact same language as the one Evers line-item vetoed two years ago.
“If Governor Evers doesn’t line item veto this, it pretty much means we’re going to have a bridge accelerated in the pace that it’s out to about a 2 to 4-year window.”
Two years ago, Evers said he made the veto so the DOT could weigh in. They did and the interchange was included with the I-41 expansion.
If Evers keeps the motion, the DOT would then request the money next budget to build the actual bridge. The county is projecting it will cost about $46 million.
Throw in the connecting roads, round-abouts, and right of way, the county projects the total project cost from Lawrence to Ledgeview is $134 million.
“We all hope for that 80-20 split between the federal government and the local government,” said Streckenbach. “That helps the state of Wisconsin.”
Streckenbach tells FOX 11 landing the federal money is the real challenge. He believes including the project in the state budget will help in that effort.
County officials say once the money is secured, they could break ground on the bridge within two to three years.
