62 percent of Richland Center roadways need improvements, report to City Council

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) requires every municipality in the state to rate and report pavement conditions every odd numbered year to maintain eligibility for General Transportation Aid (GTA) funds. Pavement ratings are assessed on a 1 to 10 scale utilizing the Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating (PASER) system developed by the DOT. Pavement conditions must be reported in the Wisconsin Information System for Local Roads (WISLR).

MSA was requested to assist the City of Richland Center with the 2025 pavement rating cycle and utilize the WISLR (whistler) Pavement Analysis Tool to prepare  reports. MSA was retained to provide an objective review of the street inventory and pavement ratings without the influence of prior ratings or methodologies.

The results were reported to the city council by Zachary Adams of MSA. This report provides estimated maintenance and capital costs for the whole system to either prolong their life or replace roads where pavement conditions are deteriorated beyond routine maintenance. Capital improvements, such as resurfacing, mill and overlay, and reconstruction, significantly extend a road’s service life. Maintenance improvements help preserve existing pavement and include joint and crack sealing, patching, and sealcoating.

Capital costs are much higher, as the work is much more extensive compared to maintenance costs. The report states 18.49 miles out of the 29.86 miles, or about 62%, of roadway are in need of improvements currently. In order to provide no backlog of work and get all the roads improved to a passable condition rating within a five-year timeline, the WISLR tool suggests a budget of $230,000 per year is needed, with the only remaining roads being with a passable pavement condition rating. With $150,000 budgeted for 2026, a budget of $250,000 for the next four years would be required.

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