Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association

Episode two of Road Trippin’ with WTBA promises to be a funny and fascinating stroll through the mind of Zignego Company, Inc. and WTBA Board President Dan Zignego . (Spoiler: we’ll talk about chickens, ballroom dancing and—yes—concrete) Thanks for hosting us, Dan. Can’t wait to get in the edit booth and share with you all soon. Find us wherever you listen to podcasts!

A C is higher than a C-, yes, but let's be honest: we can and MUST do better. Thank you American Society of Civil Engineers and AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) for the impactful and on-point analysis. Some positive steps taken in the right direction while also a LOT of work ahead of us. Let's get to it! https://lnkd.in/gT5Tan78

Green Bay's Leo Frigo Bridge is the only Wisconsin bridge on this report. It opened in 1981. WisDOT temporarily closed the bridge in 2013 when a 400-foot section was sagging. Crews most recently blasted and painted the steel arch and girders in 2023 to extend its life and added lighting to make inspections easier.

A safer, smoother ride: that's the ultimate goal of major projects like I-43 north of Milwaukee. So far, so good. Kudos to our WTBA members (including contractors Michels Road & Stone, Inc., Hoffman Construction Company, and Zignego Company, Inc.), HNTB and Wisconsin Department of Transportation for their excellent work, planning, and oversight on this crucial expansion!

ICYMI: The first episode of the "Road Trippin' with WTBA" podcast is available wherever you stream your favorite content, including (as of today!) Apple Podcasts. Just search "WTBA" and tune in! (Don't forget to subscribe, too)

Whether you regularly listen to The Joe Rogan Experience, The Daily, Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend (Lane's wife's favorite), Dateline, or... maybe you've NEVER listened to a podcast before... we have something new to check out. WTBA's first-ever podcast, "Road Trippin' with WTBA", is now available on most streaming platforms including Amazon Music, Spotify, iHeartPodcasts and (very soon) Apple Podcasts. The first episode explores themes of hard work, leadership, and culture two Packers legends' shared with WTBA Annual Convention attendees late last month. "Road Trippin' with WTBA" aims to inform and entertain, while demonstrating that no matter where you're headed: it all begins and ends with a road. Make sure to subscribe to catch our latest content! https://wtba.libsyn.com/

The "Road Trippin' with WTBA" podcast is coming to a platform near you! Steve and Lane just recorded the first episode this afternoon. We can't wait to share some fascinating stories, interesting factoids, and incredible guests with you as we span the state, showing, as Steve is fond of reminding us all: no matter where you're headed, it all begins and ends with a road. Stay tuned for info in the coming days on how to listen and subscribe.

If there's any one event that demonstrates how WTBA membership can build lifelong bonds, look no further than last month's Annual Convention. More than 250 members and their families shared stories, meals, and a lot of laughter together over four days in sunny Florida. It's an experience we wouldn't trade for the world. "If you're an introvert and you're not sure how to be involved, just come to one of these things. Organically, you'll get drawn into a conversation that will make you feel more welcome and more at home," past board president Brian Endres, P.E. said. "[We're all] pulling for something that's bigger than our individual company, coming together for a common cause and aligning all of our talents to get that accomplished." Special thanks to our excellent speakers including Retired US Navy Admiral Mike Manazir, Packers legends Santana Dotson & Antonio Freeman, American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) Chairman Jeff Nelson, Anirban Basu, Mike Hahn, Chad Benz, Jamie Vanderveldt, Ryan Merryman and, most importantly, everyone who gathered to make this year's convention truly unforgettable!

As four past WTBA Board presidents shared stories and advice with Annual Convention attendees last week, Zach Dittberner was paying close attention. “They gave me inspiration to strive to do more in our industry,” Dittberner told WTBA. Dittberner, with Michels Road & Stone, Inc., will have a golden opportunity to do that over the next year, becoming the new WTBA of Tomorrow Board Chairman for 2025. Learn more about Zach here >>> https://lnkd.in/eJQdfm58

It was billed as a double feature: two legends from the mid-90s Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers slated to speak on Day Two of the WTBA Annual Convention. But a few minutes before showtime, only Antonio Freeman stood at the ready. No Santana Dotson quite yet? No problem. “When we do the coin flip during the game, we always choose the offense to take the field first,” Freeman quipped as he took the stage early. “We want to get some rhythm going, see how the day’s going to go, and see if we can score first. So, that’s why I’m here first and Santana’s here for cleanup duty.” Moments later, there stood the still-imposing Dotson in the doorway, grinning as Freeman soaked in the spotlight and a crowd of people clearly enjoying themselves. “Let me tell you how you get Antonio because he loves to throw me up or throw whoever’s with him up [on stage] first,” Dotson laughed. “So he is correct, you just gotta show up a tad later than he shows up.” For the next hour-plus, Freeman and Dotson brought laughter, joy, and some incredible personalized insights to WTBA members last Tuesday. After a few brief opening remarks, the former teammates opened the floor to more than a dozen questions, answering anything and everything thrown their way. Topics included Reggie White locker room stories, childhood experiences that shaped their futures, thoughts on the current Packer team, and much more. “I’m a resident of South Florida,” Freeman explained. “I live here in Fort Lauderdale and I’ve never had a Wisconsin or Packer event here on my home turf, so it felt really good today to be here.” The Packer legends weren’t quite done after the final question, either. They stuck around for another 45 minutes to sign autographs and take pictures with anyone and everyone who wanted one, genuinely enjoying the time interacting with fans. “We both feed off of each other, meaning that we like to give information and we tell stories ourselves,” Dotson said of his time with Freeman. “But I think it’s equally what we receive from them [the audience], the stories they tell us at the same time.” A huge thank you to Free, Santana, and TEAM LAMMI for helping make one of the most memorable moments of a great week even better than imagined!