The county's record 2025 highway funding will improve local infrastructure.
La Crosse County is hitting the gas on highway construction in 2025, with a record $14.1 million allocated to fund improvements across 11 miles of county roads. The county board unanimously approved the investment in November, marking a continuation of several years of increased funding and improved highway conditions.
In addition to construction, the county plans to sealcoat 20 to 25 miles of highways in 2025. This process, which extends pavement lifecycles, will cost an additional $700,000. “We had a strong 2024, completing almost 15 miles of paving, and we’re building on that success this year,” said Joe Langeberg, La Crosse County Highway Commissioner.
Since 2019, annual spending by the county on highway construction projects has risen by 182%. This increase has allowed the county to counter rising costs and enhance road conditions. The county’s total highway construction budget, including both state funding and county levy contributions, has grown by 137% since 2019 (from $5.9 million to $14.1 million).
La Crosse County’s Highway Department inspects road conditions biennially, reporting findings to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. The county uses a standardized pavement condition rating system, with scores ranging from 1 to 10: roads rated 1-3 are in poor condition, 4-7 are fair, and 7-10 are good. In 2020, 58 miles of county highways were rated poor. By the end of this year, that number will have fallen by half to 29 miles, representing about 10% of the county’s 280 highway miles. Meanwhile, roads in good condition will have increased by 24%, from 114 miles in 2020 to 142 miles in 2025.
“Our highway system is essential for businesses and residents,” said County Board Chair Tina Tryggestad. “It’s great to see historic county investments improving our roads.”
The 2024 highway construction budget was $13.7 million, funding 14.8 miles of projects. Recent increases in funding have been bolstered by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which enabled the state to raise allocations for county highway projects. “If there’s funding available and we can use it efficiently, we go after it,” Langeberg said, underlining the county’s proactive approach to securing outside funding.
Cost-saving measures have also contributed to the county’s progress. By insourcing certain engineering and other work, the Highway Department has reduced reliance on external contractors when possible. The average miles of highway construction completed annually during the 2023-2025 period will reach 11.2 miles, nearly doubling the 5.9 miles averaged in the previous three-year period.
Langeberg and his team must balance many competing interests when making decisions on which roads to fix and when. Some sections of highway cost more to rebuild than others, depending on things like slope and whether the road is in an urbanized area. There’s also complexity in considering which projects to contract out, which to perform in-house, and how to prioritize repairs on roads with higher traffic loads compared to those with lower counts. “Our Highway Department does an incredible job making every dollar count,” Tryggestad said.
Future challenges for county highway funding may lie ahead, as the burst of federal funding tied to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law expires, but Tryggestad is confident La Crosse County will adapt as needed.
“We remain fully committed to improving our county infrastructure,” she said. “We are lucky to have innovative county staff who consistently find a way to get the work done.”