The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) has officially opened the next phase of the Agricultural Road Improvement Program (ARIP) grants. This put $70 million on the table for local municipalities to repair crumbling rural infrastructure.
The program, which specifically targets routes used to transport agricultural and forestry products, has already seen success. To date, 122 projects have been awarded across 56 counties, supporting the movement of $13 billion in goods annually. John DesRivieres, the Communications Director for the DOT, emphasized that the goal is to fix routes that currently hinder the state’s producers.
“Maybe there’s a posted weight limit for at least one month in that prior year on those roads, or the road currently does not allow for the transport of a full load of agricultural goods,” DesRivieres said. “That’s where if you’re a producer, if you’re a farmer, you should be reaching out to your local town officials and saying, hey, we’ve got a need here, we should consider an ARIP application.”
While 13 projects from the initial funding cycle are already complete, the DOT is looking to build on that momentum. Officials are urging farmers and local leaders to collaborate quickly to identify roads in need of structural upgrades before the next funding cutoff.
“The key thing is producers and farmers talking to their local officials, identifying those needs, and then moving forward to submit that project,” DesRivieres noted.
Local governments have until June 29, 2026, at 5 p.m. to submit their applications. Detailed instructions and video tutorials for the application process are available on the official Wisconsin DOT website.
Leave a Reply