Economic development, In this together - Wisconsin Department of Transportation

“In This Together” is a WisDOT program that targets statewide businesses facing road construction in their community. The program’s goal is to help businesses maintain business while construction is underway.

The department recognizes that businesses located in work zones have special needs. It is critical that customers have access and continue to patronize the businesses, in spite of any roadwork inconvenience. Early in the project development process, business owners receive a workbook, case studies, and video that contain successful marketing and promotion ideas used by other businesses facing the same situation.

Construction assistance and economic development

This program supports economic development in a number of ways:

Encourages businesses to become proactive in attracting business during construction and working together with WisDOT,
Provides owners with positive strategies and successful techniques to draw in customers,
Reduces the fears and frustrations of business owners associated with construction disruptions, delays and detours, and
Demonstrates that WisDOT wants to help businesses succeed and promote economic development.

Case study: Dodgeville

Dodgeville stands out as a city that set up well-organized, cooperative plans to offset the unavoidable impacts of reconstructing 1.3 miles of Main Street (WIS 23) for six months. This segment of work included the city’s main retail businesses. Dodgeville’s plan included several significant features:

Planning early,
Developing colorful uniform signs,
Creating placemats to guide customers,
Sprucing up the back entrances of stores, and
Organizing cooperative advertising.

Businesses suffered a temporary decline in sales, but survived what could have been a difficult time for merchants. Through cooperation and communication, disruption was kept to a minimum.

Case study: Superior

The two-year, $15 million Tower Avenue reconstruction project called for widening and improving over four miles of four-lane highway through a growing commercial area in Superior. WisDOT, the city of Superior, and the Superior-Douglas County Chamber of Commerce held meetings a year before construction started.

After seeing the video “In This Together,” business owners formed a Tower Avenue Promotion Committee to help minimize the impacts of construction. Some 67 owners joined and put in money for an advertising fund. For the next two years, owners not only maintained their sales, but many increased their business. Reasons for their success included the following:

Planning early,
Pooling resources and forming an alliance with other businesses,
Holding many sales and special promotions and developing a media advertising campaign to keep customers coming in,
Partnering with the WisDOT project manager for frequent, accurate communication about the project, and
Keeping customers informed.

Because the spirit of cooperation prevailed throughout the project, the businesses not only survived, but thrived during construction.

Businesses and WisDOT are truly “in this together,” united in recognizing the need for road improvements and the long-term economic and safety benefits they will share when a project is completed.

For more information about business help during construction, see WisDOT's In This Together Web site.

Road under construction

Road construction project

Additional information about In This Together