ELK MOUND — Elk Mound Town Chairman Tony Christopherson said that the road in front of Meyer Brothers Grain is simply too narrow for the volume and size of vehicles that travel that corridor of 530th Avenue.
“If everyone stays in their own lane, it’s okay. But if everyone doesn’t, it’s a challenge,” Christopherson said. “We’re one bad spring from it not being passable.”
Christopherson said a recent traffic study shows an average of 670 cars and 110 trucks travel in front of the grain storage facility daily. He pointed to the nearby Elk Mound schools and noted that includes buses and teen drivers heading to and from school.
Gov. Tony Evers stopped at Meyer Brothers Grain on Wednesday to hear the concerns of area officials and businesses. The road will be widened at a cost of about $450,000. Design and engineering work for the half-mile stretch will happen this fall, with construction slated to begin in spring 2025.
Tom Meyer, owner of Meyer Brothers Grain, thanked the governor for securing funding for the project. He said most of the big trucks visit his business from September up through Thanksgiving.
“I don’t think people appreciate enough (the importance of) doing this road,” Meyer told Evers. “I always picture a vehicle rolling over. This road isn’t built for these types of loads.”
Evers said the good news is the Legislature approved funding for road projects like this one.
“Agriculture is such a big part of our economy and we have to have safe roads,” Evers said. “The good news is we’ll get something done.”
Evers, together with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, announced Wednesday nearly $50 million in state investments to help support 37 projects across 28 counties.
“The projects are aimed at helping support Wisconsin’s farmers, producers, and agricultural industries by improving rural roads and bridges that are critical to moving and transporting products, crops, and livestock, among others, efficiently and effectively across the state,” a press release from his office reads.
This is the first round of funding awarded through the new Agricultural Roads Improvement Program (ARIP), which was established by 2023 Wisconsin Act 13 and funded in the 2023-25 biennial budget, the press release states.
New candidateGov. Evers also discussed Vice President and presumptive Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and her visit to Wisconsin on Tuesday. He noted the energy Harris had in her first official campaign event since replacing President Joe Biden as the presumptive Democratic candidate.
“It was unbelievable. I don’t think I’ve been a part of a political event with that much enthusiasm,” Evers said. “I’ve never experienced anything like that. She did a great job.”
Evers also said there is no news on $15 million that was approved for emergency services. After the governor’s partial veto, the Joint Finance Committee has held up releasing the funds.
“The Joint Finance Committee still sits on it. It’s just wrong,” Evers said. “The Joint Finance Committee thinks they are in the executive branch; they are not.”
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