MILWAUKEE — President Joe Biden is visiting Superior on Wednesday afternoon, less than 24 hours after delivering his State of the Union Address. 

While in northern Wisconsin, Biden is expected to speak about the expected impact of the federal government’s recently-passed law to fund infrastructure improvements across the country. 

Ken Mika, President of the American Society of Civil Engineers - Wisconsin Section, said $5.5 billion will go to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

Mika said that money will help repair roads and bridges, with roughly half of it specifically focused on surface/re-pavement projects.

“What’s nice about this funding is it helps ensure the roads are going to be kept up,” Mika said. 

He said the Wisconsin Department of Transportation has historically been good about making sure the interstate system throughout Wisconsin is repaved as needed. But Mika believes the injection of federal money will be noticeable through repavement projects on state and county highways, and even some busy, local roads.

But Mika said it’s “still too early in the process” to know which specific projects will receive funding. 

When it comes to bridges, Mika said improvements are needed “across the board” even though the state has done a good job of maintaining them.

In Superior, the major project on the calendar is the renovation of the Blatnik Bridge - which connects Wisconsin with Duluth, Minnesota. The $1.8 billion project is expected to begin in 2028.

Since it involves both Wisconsin and Minnesota, it will be a collaboration between the two states.