West Bend, WI – The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) announced a $250,000 Transportation Economic Assistance (TEA) grant for road construction.
The grant, approved by WisDOT Secretary-designee Craig Thompson, supports the total project cost of $2.1 million to build a new street in West Bend named Forge Place.
Milwaukee Tool is investing $10 million to construct the plant, which will open in 2021 and employ 50 people. Another $12 million will be invested in specialized equipment to make hand tools for professional electricians and utility linemen.
“TEA grants support business expansion across the state, and I want to encourage local officials and economic groups to apply,” said Thompson.
The 1,500-foot-long Forge Place will run east from the existing South River Road and Rail Way intersection to Milwaukee Tool’s 94,700-square-foot facility. The company’s West Bend manufacturing facility will be expandable up to 185,000-square-feet to accommodate future growth.
Wisconsin’s TEA program awarded 11 grants in 2020 that totaled $5.2 million. Its supports transportation improvements linked to business development projects that will create 1,005 new jobs and retain an additional 716 jobs in Wisconsin.
The TEA program provides financial assistance to communities to support transportation infrastructure improvements that will help attract new employers or encourage existing employers to expand. A municipal or county unit of government must sponsor a TEA application. The project must have the local government’s endorsement, and it must benefit the public.