Asset management and data-driven decision-making ensure that the transportation system is operated, maintained, and improved in the most efficient and effective way possible, so that the right project is implemented in the right place, and at the right time.

Asset management is more than just analysis of financial and performance data; it also relies on models that incorporate material science and asset deterioration information. Asset management is at play when determining project scopes such as perpetuation, rehabilitation, or modernization.

WisDOT has a long history of using the principles of asset management to inform investment decisions through the MAPSS Performance Improvement Program, which are combined with Federal Transportation Performance Measures to set targets, and track progress for pavement and bridge performance.

WisDOT also uses performance based practical design techniques (PBPD) and other performance analysis tools to ensure the development of cost-effective solutions that increase net system benefit of improvement projects.

Wisconsin’s State Trunk Highway (STH) system continues to evolve to support the state’s economy, the mobility needs of Wisconsin citizens and the broader public good. The STH system currently encompasses 11,750 center line miles and 5,315 bridges. While the STH system represents only 10% of all highway and local road mileage in the state, its critical importance is underscored by the fact that it has carried almost 60% of the annual vehicle miles of travel occurring on Wisconsin highways since the year 2000.

The National Highway System (NHS) is primarily a subset of the STH System, but also include locally-owned principal arterial roadways. The WisDOT-owned portion of the NHS makes up 45% of STH center line miles and carries 85% of STH vehicle miles. For this reason, the WisDOT-owned portion of the NHS is a priority WisDOT shares with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

WisDOT is responsible for managing the maintenance, improvement and operation of the STH system, and its decisions rely on performance-based asset management principles. The investment strategies resulting from WisDOT’s commitment to efficient and effective asset management are reviewed and updated as necessary to optimize STH system performance. Flexible and responsive planning, budgeting and project delivery processes ensure WisDOT makes the best possible use of the resources available.

National Highway System (NHS)

The NHS is a strategic system of roads and bridges important to the nation’s economy, defense and mobility. The NHS includes the Interstate Highway System and other important state and local highways.

The STH system includes 5,323 center line miles of NHS roadway and 3,278 NHS bridges.

Most of Wisconsin's NHS mileage, including the entire NHS Interstate, is WisDOT-owned. There are 648 center line miles of NHS on the local system, primarily located in the Milwaukee, Madison, and Fox Valley areas. This is a very small subset of the entire Local system, which is comprised of 102,263 center line miles.

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WisDOT is committed to helping local governments manage their highway and bridge infrastructure using sound asset management principles and will continue efforts to make information from pavement and bridge management systems available to all local governments in Wisconsin. The most recent Biennial Budget and the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) / Bi-partisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) increased the funding available to local governments for their highway programs.

The WisDOT funding for maintenance, improvement, and operation of Wisconsin’s STH system is contained in a set of budget appropriations approved during the State’s Biennial Budget process occurring during odd-numbered calendar years. Each state fiscal year begins on July 1. The types of highway and bridge work that can be paid for using funds contained in each budget appropriation is defined by Wisconsin law.

WisDOT is committed to working with the Governor and Legislature to allocate available funding across STH-related budget appropriations in a flexible manner, consistent with addressing the highest priority investment needs on the STH system.

The following budget appropriations are available for the maintenance, improvement and operation of Wisconsin’s STH system:

State Highway Rehabilitation (SHR)

Major Highway Development (Majors)

Southeast Wisconsin Freeway Megaprojects (SEF)

Major Interstate Bridge (MIB)

High Cost State Bridge (HCSB)

State Highway Maintenance and Traffic Operations (M&O)

State law provides SHR funding for the improvement of existing state trunk highways and bridges. MIB and HCSB funding is provided for stand-alone bridge projects with costs exceeding limits set by state law. Majors funding is provided for high-cost projects typically involving reconstruction and expansion of the STH system, where “high-cost” is statutorily defined. Projects on the southeast Wisconsin freeway system, with a cost exceeding a statutory minimum, are defined as “megaprojects" and must be paid for using SEF funding. WisDOT cannot unilaterally select projects for Majors, SEF, MIB and HCSB funding. The processes involved in developing these programs are described in Chapters 3-6 within the TAMP document.

To view WisDOT's 2023 - 2032 TAMP, please click on the link above.