Procurement and contracting are also respectably managed. By and large, capital management in Wisconsin is well done. The state is strong in tracking and evaluating projects through to implementation. Monthly status reports are produced for the State Building Commission and the legislature. The Building Commission also receives monthly financial reports for consideration prior to taking action on capital requests.
Most projects come in on time and on budget.
Neither the state nor the DOT really knows how this huge project will be funded. The first installment, an interchange redesign in Milwaukee, will start in 2004, so there's some time to come up with the answer. But not an unlimited amount of time. The transportation department doesn't calculate its deferred maintenance, although it employs the standard pavement and bridge management systems to assess the condition of its roadways. The DOT does set goals for funding, but it usually underestimates, and that leads to a backlog.