MILWAUKEE — Most Wisconsinites will tell you there are two seasons in the Badger State: winter and construction.

With orange barrels dotting the roads again, you might see a familiar face on the job site as Gov. Tony Evers gets behind the shovel for his annual ‘Pothole Patrol’ tour across the state.


What You Need To Know

  • Last July, Gov. Evers signed a budget that provided significant investments to improve roads and infrastructure across the state, according to his office

  • That included $550 million to fund ongoing transportation projects, $100 million for the Local Road Improvement Program, and $150 million for the new Agriculture Road Improvement Program

  • Through investments, the governor’s office said more than 900 miles of road and more than 200 bridges were improved last year alone

This is the fourth year in a row that Gov. Evers has taken to the streets to do his part for potholes, from filling them to talking about funding the fixes.

On the streets of Milwaukee, the governor spent part of his Tuesday sweeping, spreading, and shoveling as he touted infrastructure investments made in the state’s budget last year.

“With the mayor’s help, we were able to get shared revenue in a much better place, and we brought another $100 million to add on to what happens at the local level as far as fixing roads,” Gov. Evers told reporters.

Gov. Evers shovels mix into a pothole on a street in the southside of Milwaukee, Wis. (Spectrum News 1/Anthony DaBruzzi)

The governor also took the opportunity to put a spotlight on work zone safety and reflect on the lives lost over the last calendar year.

“Nine people—that’s more than double the number of police officers that have died in duty in the state of Wisconsin,” Gov. Evers explained. “We have to make sure that our workers are safe, and we want them to go home at night to be with their kids and their family.”

According to the governor’s office, through investments, his administration has improved more than 7,400 miles of roads and nearly 1,780 bridges since 2019.