DOT Proposed Budget Will Affect Racine County Projects

Racine County Executive Jonathan Delagrave is voicing his concern regarding the proposed Department of Transportation (DOT) budget released Thursday (Sept.) by Governor Scott Walker.

It will affect the Interstate 94 corridor in Racine County, Delagrave said. At the local level, the county will be getting more money for roads, bridges and potentially culverts, he added.

"There are some aspects of the transportation that are good for Racine County,” Delagrave said. “But the big issue with I-94 is a disappointment because that was definitely part of a long-term economic development plan that we had wanted to put in place." 

He said it could affect potential businesses to move into their county who may be looking for easy on and off access from the interstate.

“We believe that it’s an obstacle but we’ll continue to move forward,” Delagrave said. “It will make it a little more difficult to attract what we call major term economic development in our county but at the same time we know that’s not going to deter us from being aggressive and continue to court those needed businesses and manufacturers that make Racine County what it is.”

Julie Anderson, director at the Racine County Public Works Department, listed some of the biggest impacts they will notice with this budget are those projects that were scheduled to be completed by 2021.

• Seven mile road interchange
• Highway K interchange
• Parts of the mainline highway 20 interchange (including a new roundabout near I-94 at Hwy 20).
• Work at the Hwy 11 and KR interchanges.
• There are supposed to be four lanes of through traffic along I-94 through Racine County, but they only have three.