“Proxmire’s aid requested in bridge problem” from the March 20, 1973 Door County Advocate
Proxmire’s aid requested in bridge problem
The Door County Highway Commission has written Senator William Proxmire requesting his help in obtaining the release of $90 million in federal funds due Wisconsin.
At their meeting with the state highway commission at Madison March 8, local officials were informed that $90 million in highway funds owed Wisconsin from federal gas taxes are still impounded.
Robert Huber, chairman of the state highway commission, said that the impoundment did not start with President Richard Nixon but had started back in the administration of Lyndon B. Johnson.
Meanwhile, the United States Senate voted last week to allow $850 million of auto gasoline, oil and tire taxes to be used by cities or mass transit. The senate also voted to authorize an additional $3 billion over five years for mass transit capital grants and $800 million over two years to help pay transit operating costs.
Mass transit is a public transportation system proposed for cities to reduce private car use.
Although the release of federal highway funds to the state would take some of the financial pressure off the state highway system, they could not be used for bridge construction.
However, State Reuben LaFave, chairman of joint legislative highway finance committee, pointed out to the local group that the release of federal funds would provide revenue for regular highway fund and increase the chances of getting his proposal for additional bridge funding through the legislature.
LaFave also pointed to the difficulty of getting a proposal through without some type of financial appeasement to the mass transit people. Since the U. S. Senate’s action (which must still be approved in the House where public hearings are to start March 20) designates federal funds for mass transit, this could help LaFave get his bridge legislation through.
It was at LaFave’s request that action be started at the local level for bridge funding to supplement the already depleted bonding program with only 15 of 24 bridges assured of being constructed. The remaining nine, including Sturgeon Bay’s, cannot be built until, in Huber’s words, “either we can find extending bonding authority or the fruits of a shift in our whole highway bill.”
The county highway commission’s letter to Senator Proxmire follows:
Honorable Senator:
We have recently learned that a much needed and anticipated new Sturgeon Bay bridge has been cut from our State Highway Projects through lack of funds.
Recent bridge disasters throughout the country have made old and antiquated bridges a federal project. Since our present bridge could be classified as one of these old tired out bridges, it had become our hope that a new one would be available to the public before disaster did strike.
It is our further understanding that Federal funds of $90,000,000 have been withheld from the State of Wisconsin from the segregated highway fund. It is through this fund that our only hopes of gaining a bridge can now be accomplished. And it is our sincere wish that you do everything possible to help Door county.
I am enclosing a Chamber of Commerce letter which pretty well outlines the economic impact in Door County, should disaster strike our one and only existing structure.
Brief history and events affecting this project are:
1. Bridge constructed under States “Long Bridge Act” in 1931.
2. Oct. 21, 1960 damaged by ship out of service 19 days creating an island of north Door county.
3. 1962, Place on priority list of bridges by Wisconsin Legislature.
4. 1969, City adopted Comprehensive Planning Program recommending 18th av. site for new bridge.
5. 1970, Public hearing held.
6. 1971, Door county board of Supervisors, Sturgeon Bay city council, all town boards and numerous civic organizations passed resolutions supporting 18th av. corridor.
7. 1972, County-wide referendum in April election. Results 71.4 per cent of county vote favored new bridge at 18th av. location.
8. Jan. 4, 1973, Environmental Impact Statement approved by various agencies and F.H.W.A.
Appreciation will be noted for any assistance you can give us on this project.
Courtesy of the Door County Library Newspaper Archive
Articles about bridges
https://doorcounty.substack.com/t/bridges