Preservation - State Highway Pavement Condition (Backbone) - WisDOT MAPSS Performance Improvement Program

WisDOT MAPSS - Preservation - State Highway Pavement Condition (Backbone) - Protecting, maintaining and operating Wisconsin's transportation system efficiently by making sound investments that preserve and extend the life of our infrastructure, while protecting our natural environment.

Sixty percent of vehicle miles traveled in Wisconsin utilize our state highway system and preserving those 12,000 miles of pavement helps to promote safe and efficient mobility. Our goal is to have 90% of Backbone highway pavement rate in fair condition or better using the most cost-effective improvement methods available.

For information on non-backbone highway pavement, visit our State Highway Pavement Condition (non-backbone) measure.

• *Pavement data was not collected on the full state highway system in 2020 due to COVID impacts and cannot be reported on in 2021.
• Prior to 2018, half the state system was collected yearly, the west half in odd years and the east half in even years. Two collection season’s data was then combined as a complete reporting year. Since 2018, pavement data has been collected for the entire state annually. In 2024, WisDOT now has a 6-year window of the statewide annual pavement data and has updated the data from reporting year 2019 to current.
• PCI – PCI is a measure of the roadway’s structural health. Individual pavement distresses are identified, and a distress-weighted rating is calculated. Using both the PCI rating and the individual distress information, the department is able to recommend the appropriate timing and scope of the pavement treatments.

Sixty percent of vehicle miles traveled in Wisconsin utilize the state’s 12,000 miles of state-owned roadways. The state’s Backbone highway system is comprised of priority corridors and carries 85% of the freight tonnage traversing Wisconsin’s state trunk highways. Preservation and improvement of these transportation facilities ensures a safe and efficient transportation system. Wise investment of taxpayer dollars involves a strategic application of asset management principles to maximize system health at the lowest cost practicable to maintain the system in a state of good repair.

Pavement quality is impacted by material quality, adequacy of pavement design, traffic loading, improvement and maintenance history, age, and environmental factors such as temperature and moisture. The department considers all these factors when using asset management tools and strategies to determine investment levels and steward highway improvement funding.

The 2019–2021 biennial budget increased funding to the State Highway Rehabilitation (SHR) program by over $320 million which continued into the 2021–2023 biennial budget by maintaining purchasing power in the SHR Program. This commitment continues into the 2023-2025 budget with an additional $164 million to the program. These actions will allow the department to continue to maintain system conditions and potentially improve overall system health in the future. WisDOT uses department-wide asset management strategies to guide investments. This includes a pavement management system that incorporates a strategic combination of best value and viable low-cost fixes that optimize system pavement health. The department’s pavement condition program continues to utilize a state-of-the-art pavement condition survey system. These efforts, along with ongoing pavement research and materials testing, help to ensure the department continues to maximize the long-term health of the state highway system.