“From major highways to local roads, we’re investing in ensuring Wisconsinites and visitors to our state have the infrastructure they need to get from point A to point B safely and efficiently. The Rustic Roads Program is an extension of that commitment, ensuring people can use and enjoy quality, reliable infrastructure no matter where they are,” said Gov. Evers. “We also know this program wouldn’t be what it is today without the counties, towns, and local governments that support and help maintain our Rustic Roads year-round. I’m grateful for their hard work and dedication throughout the years that have made this day possible. So, in celebration of 50 years, I invite everyone to get out and explore these scenic roads, and I look forward to seeing this program’s continued growth in the decades to come.”

Created by the Wisconsin State Legislature in 1973, Rustic Roads is one of WisDOT’s oldest programs and has contributed to the growth of Wisconsin’s travel and tourism economy by encouraging Wisconsinites and out-of-state tourists alike to visit a variety of communities across the state. Half a century later, there are now 126 Rustic Roads, spanning more than 760 miles of scenic, country roads across 61 counties. Unique brown and yellow signs mark the routes of all 126 officially designated Rustic Roads, which range from two miles to 37 miles in length and have a maximum speed limit of 45 miles per hour. New routes are still being proposed and added to the statewide system thanks to the program’s popularity and the participation of local municipalities and governments. A commemorative video celebrating the history of the Rustic Roads Program was unveiled at the event to mark the occasion and is available here.

“Rustic Roads are special to so many because they give us the time and space to enjoy a more leisurely way to travel,” said WisDOT Secretary Kristina Boardman. “The success of this program is the result of local collaboration and ongoing efforts of communities across Wisconsin. We are thankful to all those involved who have worked to keep this great program growing. WisDOT is excited to continue working with community leaders anywhere in the state to propose new Rustic Roads and showcase more great destinations across Wisconsin.”

Since Day One, Gov. Evers and his administration have made it a priority to invest in improvements to local roads, bridges, and infrastructure and bolster the travel and tourism industry, which are both major economic drivers for the state. Since 2019, under his administration, the state has improved more than 8,600 miles of roads and 2,000 bridges statewide.

Rustic Roads also help contribute to Wisconsin’s thriving travel and tourism industry, particularly in the state’s rural communities. Earlier this summer, Gov. Evers and the Department of Tourism announced Wisconsin’s tourism industry saw its third consecutive record-breaking year of economic impact under the Evers Administration. According to 2024 economic impact data, the tourism industry generated a record-high $25.8 billion in total economic impact, or about $70 million per day, surpassing the previous record of $25 billion set in 2023, which itself was a record year.

Additionally, Wisconsin also welcomed a record-breaking 114.4 million visitors in 2024—a 1.4 million increase from the previous year and eclipsing the former record of 113.2 million visitors in 2019, and the state’s tourism industry generated a record amount of state and local revenue, generating a record $1.7 billion that goes back to local communities and essential state services.

To become a Rustic Road, a roadway must have outstanding natural features such as rugged terrain, native vegetation or wildlife, or cultural or historic qualities that uniquely set it apart from other roads. It should be a lightly traveled, local access road at least two miles in length, connect with major highways at both ends or form a loop, and should not be scheduled for major improvements, which would change its rustic characteristics. WisDOT oversees the Rustic Roads program; however, these roads remain under local government authority. More information on the Rustic Roads Program is available on WisDOT’s website here.

“We are very excited to see the successful completion of this important infrastructure project,” said Forest County Potawatomi Chairman Brooks Boyd, Sr. “The work done during this reconstruction will bring improved safety and better accessibility for all members of our community and is a prime example of benefits that collaboration can bring to projects like this.”

“Through these trails and reconstruction of U.S. Highway 8, we are ensuring community members can safely take a stroll or bike ride and enjoy the great outdoors, drivers have a safer, smoother ride to work, school, or appointments, and companies will have a more reliable route to transport goods and services,” said Gov. Evers. “This new trail will serve as a backbone route connecting the main Tribal area of Stone Lake to Crandon, and I want to thank everyone who played a part in reaching this point today.”

The new multi-use path, located adjacent to U.S. Highway 8 between Fire Keeper Road and Love Knot Road, provides alternative transportation to Forest County Potawatomi facilities, including the Forest County Potawatomi Cultural Center, Library & Museum and the Forest County Potawatomi Executive Building. The trail offers travelers an opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors with the improved walking and biking trail, which also includes a one-mile ATV trail and four kiosks and benches as information centers to engage travelers. The Forest County Potawatomi Community received state and federal grants to revitalize the area and enhance connectivity for bicyclists and pedestrians.

The Evers Administration, through WisDOT, helped support this project with more than $939,000 in funding awarded to the Tribe through the Transportation Alternatives Program. Additionally, thanks to the efforts of U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin to secure over $31 million from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Discretionary Grant Program in 2022 for Wisconsin, the Forest County Potawatomi Community received over $9.5 million to carry out this project. In 2023, the Biden-Harris Administration also awarded over $302,000 to the Forest County Potawatomi Community for this project through the National Scenic Byways Program.

“I fought hard to secure this funding because investing in our infrastructure means investing in Wisconsinites’ safety and our economy,” said U.S. Sen. Baldwin. “This project helps ensure that every Wisconsinite, whether you are walking, biking, or driving, can get to where they need to go safely and efficiently.”

“We’re honored to join the Forest County Potawatomi Community to celebrate the new multi-use path and trails to enhance safety and accessibility to other areas in the community,” said WisDOT Assistant Deputy Secretary Nilsestuen. “The road improvements along the U.S. Highway 8 corridor will greatly increase safety and visibility for the traveling public. Together with our Tribal partners, we are making strategic investments to not only strengthen our infrastructure but ensure our transportation system will be safer and more reliable while also supporting economic development.”

The multi-use path is adjacent to WisDOT’s reconstruction project on U.S. Highway 8 between WIS 55 in Crandon and WIS 32 South near Laona. The $18.6 million project repaved about 11 miles of highway, reconfigured travel lanes between Wildwood and Grandview avenues in Crandon, removed part of a hill to improve visibility at the Grandview Avenue intersection, and improved stormwater drainage in the area. Weather permitting, U.S. Highway 8 is anticipated to open to traffic on Sat., Oct. 18, 2025. The full U.S. Highway 8 project is scheduled to be completed in early November 2025.

INVESTMENTS IN THE 2025-27 BIENNIAL BUDGET TO SUPPORT WISCONSIN’S TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE

After years of neglect under the previous administration, Gov. Evers has made fixing Wisconsin’s roads and bridges and making sure the state’s infrastructure can meet the needs of a 21st-century workforce and a 21st-century economy a top priority. Since 2019, under his administration, the state has improved more than 8,600 miles of roads and 2,000 bridges statewide. In fact, Wisconsinites could drive from Wausau, Wisconsin, to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and back three times on the number of miles of roads fixed. In each of his biennial budgets, Gov. Evers has secured historic investments in Wisconsin’s transportation infrastructure, and improving Wisconsin’s roads and bridges continued to be a priority for the governor in the 2025-27 Biennial Budget.

In addition to securing a three percent increase in General Transportation Aids, the final 2025-27 Biennial Budget signed by Gov. Evers includes:

The 2025-27 Biennial Budget also improves ongoing transportation fund revenues by generating nearly $200 million in additional revenue to improve the sustainability of the transportation fund.

In addition to robust investments in transportation infrastructure statewide, the final 2025-27 Biennial Budget invests in local communities to ensure that they are able to address the unique needs of their constituents and bolster local infrastructure, including $14 million through municipal service payments to ensure local communities have the resources they need to meet basic and unique needs alike.

Gov. Evers also exercised his broad, constitutional veto authority to partially veto aspects of the budget that were outside of the bipartisan budget negotiations. More information about the bipartisan budget signed by Gov. Evers is available here.