MANITOWOC COUNTY (WLUK) — Federal funding will help improve safety and upgrade infrastructure along I-43 in Manitowoc County.
Officials say the $12.5 million will be used to boost roadway safety, reconstruct rest areas and expand truck parking between Manitowoc and Green Bay. According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, more than 22,000 travelers use this corridor of I-43 each day.
The project will replace the Rest Area 51 Maribel and Rest Area 52 Denmark facilities along this corridor.
According to WisDOT, insufficient parking, deteriorating pavements, and outdated and undersized facilities require the reconstruction of this 44-year-old safety rest area.
Improvements at these sites, made possible by the 12.5 million in funding, include:
- Construction of a new comfort building, maintenance garage, and parking lots for both automobiles and trucks
- Increasing the capacity of truck parking by 72 stalls
- Lighting replacements
- Reconstructing roadways to accommodate additional truck parking stalls
- Improving pavement
- Removal of a substandard beam guard
The funds come from the DOT Infrastructure for Rebuilding America, or INFRA program, from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. It made up to $8 billion available through the grant program from fiscal year 2022-26 to help carry out major infrastructure projects nationwide.