Phase 1 - Life of a highway project

Life of a highway project

Phase 1

Improvement information

Phase 1: Select project

Highway projects are selected based on a variety of criteria. WisDOT regions identify local needs by analyzing:

Public concerns
Traffic crash reports
Pavement and bridge condition reports
Traffic volume reports
Traffic trends
Forecasts for future demands

A highway’s concept takes shape through a series of public meetings. Citizens are encouraged to ask questions about the type of improvement being considered and how it will improve the quality of the transportation system.

Regional staff work with the public to describe the project, define the project’s goal and outline the need for the project. A preliminary project list is submitted by WisDOT’s five transportation regions to a statewide program.

If a project is selected to be funded, it becomes part of the state’s Six-Year Highway Improvement Program. The program is updated every two years to support citizens' current needs.

A Major Highway Project - a complex and costly project which requires a capacity expansion of over five miles or creation of two and half miles of highway on a new location - requires a more extensive environmental review, public involvement and approval by the Transportation Projects Commission, the State Legislature and the Governor.