The 6-20 Program is a New Initiative by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation
Written By: Jim Loreti & Nicole Barbiaux
Post Date: 01-02-2025
The program is designed to provide financial support for Counties, Municipalities, and Towns to inventory and assess the condition of local bridges and culverts. Local bridges and culverts that are 20 feet or less in length but greater than 6 feet in length will be reimbursed $100 for each structure.
The program includes an inventory phase. Local units of government including towns, municipalities, and counties must decide how they intend to generate inventories and reports.
Inventory information can be collected on paper in the field but must be input into an Excel spreadsheet for submittal to the County Highway Commissioner and then uploaded to the Highway Structures Information System.
Safety and Longevity – the Core Benefits of the 6-20 Program
This program is a significant step towards maintaining and improving the infrastructure of Wisconsin’s local bridges and culverts. It aims to ensure the safety and longevity of these structures, which are crucial for transportation and connectivity with the state.
Local Governments are Efficiently Going Beyond Current Requirements.
Cedar Corporation has experienced staff and the latest GIS technology to assist communities perform the inventory phase of the 6-20 program. We use mobile field applications, and our staff quickly capture locations and enter in the required information for each qualifying structure in the field.
So, the efficiency question becomes why stop at just locating the 6-20 foot culvert/bridge structures? This same information can be gathered and used to manage the community’s “entire” culvert system. According to Senior Consultant, Ken Jaworski, who works with many towns across the state, “clients are finding this is a great opportunity to gather additional infrastructure data. Other assets can also be recorded during the same time including road signs or even document road conditions per the most recent PASER updates. As for drainage, the most efficient process to manage drainage is to develop and maintain a “complete data base” including culvert condition. The 6-20 inventory sets the foundation for that process to begin.” It is a great time to efficiently include all culvert structures while doing those for the 6-20 inventory.
Clients Who Leverage this Funding Opportunity Can Receive More Value.
For those clients who wish to expand their inventory, they will receive a database (spreadsheet) containing all required information on their 6-20 foot qualifying culverts and bridge structures plus all remaining culverts under 6’ diameter containing the same information specified by the 6-20 foot program. They will also receive a large-scale map of all culvert and small bridge structures labeled by a number corresponding to the provided spreadsheet. The complete digital database also contains photos of each inventoried structure.
Who’s Involved?
The program is administered by the Department of Transportation (DOT) and involves collaboration with local owners’ associations, including the Wisconsin Towns Association (WTA), League of Wisconsin of Municipalities (LWM), and Wisconsin Counties Association (WCA).
December 31, 2024, Deadline to submit your inventory information
There is a December 31, 2024, deadline for this first year of the program! To make sure your community has engaged consultant help, contact your Cedar Client Manager or any of the following at Cedar Corporation.
Ken Jaworski, Senior Consultant /Green Bay – ken.jaworski@cedarcorp.com 920-785-7328
Dennis Mack, Project Manager/Menomonie – dennis.mack@cedarcorp.com 715-232-5725
Bill Betzig, Senior Project Manager/Madison – bill.betzig@cedarcorp.com 608-237-5841
