5/14/26, Vernon Reporter – FixWIBridges.com launches today, providing the public, local officials, and policymakers with transparent, easy-to-access information on the condition of nearly 17,000 small local bridges and culverts across Wisconsin.
These critical local structures, spanning just 6 to 20 feet, have never been included in federal and state tracking systems. As a result, Wisconsin policymakers and communities, like in most states, lacked comprehensive data on the safety and stability of these structures and the potential impacts on the routes they depend on every day.
“We have long known that our local small bridges were aging, but we could not fix what we did not measure,” said Debby Jackson, executive director of the Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin (TDA). “This website takes years of data and puts it directly into the hands of the taxpayers and leaders. It provides another reason why Wisconsin requires a clear roadmap to fund our most urgent needs and prioritize future investments.”
Thanks to $12.5 million in the 2023-2025 state budget, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), in partnership with local government associations, county highway departments, and stakeholder organizations, completed the first statewide inventory of these small structures. The effort identified nearly 17,000 small bridges and culverts.
Certified bridge inspectors then evaluated each structure using the standard federal 0-to-9 condition rating scale. The results are sobering: More than 1,600 of these small structures are in poor or severe condition. Some require immediate weight restrictions, lane limitations, or closures, while many others may need replacement within the next few years to keep local roads safe and functional.
“Town roads are the first and last mile of the supply chain for our farmers, loggers, many small manufacturers, and for our families,” said Mike Koles, executive director of the Wisconsin Towns Association. “By finally accounting for these small structures, we are giving our state and local officials the tools they need to show where investments are needed to keep our communities safer and our economy moving.”
connectivity across Wisconsin.