10/1/25, Oshkosh Northwestern– Local stakeholders are making sure there are no bumps down the road with state highway improvement.
Led by Mayor Matt Mugerauer, 10 community leaders highlighted the need for the long-term funding of Oshkosh’s aging roadways — including State 21, State 44 and U.S. 45 — as part of a statewide “Re-VITAL-ize” initiative.
“We’re ensuring we bring attention to these state highways to make sure there is appropriate funding at the state level to continue funding these projects and making sure funding is keeping up with the pace of cost of those projects,” Mugerauer said at a press conference Sept. 29.
He added, “It can be easy for us to set aside a certain amount of dollars, but when those projects start costing more and more, then those projects start getting pushed back.”
What is the ‘Re-VITAL-ize’ campaign?
Mugerauer made the comments at a press conference at Rainbow Memorial Park, highlighting the League of Wisconsin Municipalities and the Transportation Development Association’s “Re-VITAL-ize” campaign.
The initiative aims to raise awareness about the challenges in maintaining roadways and included State Sen. Kristin Dassler-Alfheim (D-18), State Rep. Lori Palmeri (D-54), Oshkosh City Manager Rebecca Grill, UW-Oshkosh Chief of Staff Alex Hummel and Discover Oshkosh Executive Director Amy Albright.
The perennially troublesome intersection of Oshkosh Avenue and Sawyer Street that connects to State 21 served as the backdrop for the press conference, with stakeholders also pointing to deterioration at State 44 and U.S. 45.
How much has the state Legislature budgeted for highway repair?
Outgoing Gov. Tony Evers has made highway reconstruction a priority in his last two biennial budgets, approving a $715 million increase to the State Highway Rehabilitation Project just two months ago.
In total, that program has budgeted close to $3.8 billion for state highway improvement up to 2027.
As part of his focus on road repair, Evers led a “pothole patrol” through the Fox Cities and Oshkosh back in May, when he helped shovel asphalt to fill cracks in the road.
“While the current budget is a positive step, building upon recent budgets and keeping projects moving for the next two years, we fear that without a long-term fix to funding transportation, the state risks delayed projects and deteriorating infrastructure,” said Toni Herkert, government affairs director for the League of Wisconsin Municipalities.
What are the upcoming state-funded road works projects in Oshkosh?
According to Oshkosh Director of Public Works James Rabe, the city is working with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation on several state-funded projects, including plans at the Jackson-Oregon Street Bridge and Oshkosh-Congress Avenue Bridge.
Rabe revealed there are also planning pavement projects for State 21 and US 45 on Algoma Boulevard from Murdock.
“There are a lot of projects they have in their plans right now, so we need to make sure the legislature focuses on funding so that those projects remain on schedule and don’t slide,” explained Rabe.
“We know working with the DOT that when projects slide it’s not because the DOT made a choice to let them slide — it’s because the funding wasn’t there to get them done on the original schedule.”
The “Re-VITAL-ize” initiative made initial stops in Waterloo and Wisconsin Rapids and is set to make similar presentations at other cities throughout the state.