The Wisconsin Legislature has included $50 million in the 2023-25 biennial budget to build a long-planned Southern Bridge Connector in Brown County, according to Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach.
“Over the past 5 years, we’ve been able to craft a coalition of supporters to get this generational economic development project funded,” Streckenbach said.
Gov. Tony Evers’ biennial budget also included $50 million in bonding from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Brown County is the lead agency for the project.
The route begins at Packerland Drive in the town of Lawrence, continues along a new road to a future Interstate 41 interchange and follows Southbridge and Red Maple Roads to the Fox River. The connector will then cross the Fox River and follow Rockland Road and a new road to reach the intersection of County Highways X and GV in the town of Ledgeview.
The need for road and bridge improvements was first identified in the 1968 Brown County comprehensive plan. Since then, proposals for building a new Fox River bridge and connecting roads were included in many local community plans as an important component of future development. Hundreds of stakeholders have worked to make the bridge a reality.
