Forward Janesville - TheReport - Fourth Quarter 2021

ready to make our case. Governor Doyle was at the end of his last term in office and wasn’t interested in the glad-handing and formality that the office usually demands. We launched into our pitch, and Doyle waved us off. He said (and I’m paraphrasing here…this was a long time ago), “I know, I know…you guys can stop. I’m going to convene the commission and recommend the 90 project for enumeration.” The Transportation Projects Commission met on October 19, 2010, and moved the project forward. Construction began in 2012, and there have been many twists and turns along the way. Forward Janesville stood watch over this project vigilantly for years, and we vowed to do so until the day the ribbon was cut—which just happened to be November 17, 2021. I was honored to serve as the master of ceremonies at the celebration, which included Governor Tony Evers, Wisconsin Transportation Secretary Craig Thompson, and dozens of people who helped get this project done. As I reflected on what I would say during the completion celebration, I grappled about what this project has meant to me. When we started talking about interstate expansion back in 2009, my now 16-year-old son was a toddler. I joked back then that he would be old enough to drive by the time that the project was complete. And sure enough, he will have his license by the time you are reading this. Part of his driving lessons had him spending a little time on the Interstate. As a concerned parent and someone who is well- versed in how hazardous the Interstate could be, I urged him to be extra careful. When he got home, I asked him what he thought about the Interstate, and he said it was “a piece of cake,” and that it actually was pretty fun to drive on. Those words alone made me proud to have been part of this effort. This project has made Interstate 39/90 safer and more reliable for everyone, including concerned parents everywhere. It has also jump-started Rock County’s economy and will allow our area to flourish for generations. I strongly believe that some of the development we’ve seen along the corridor would not have happened without these improvements. Great companies like Dollar General, SHINE Medical Technologies, and Amazon have chosen Rock County as their homes, and have brought millions in investment and hundreds of family- supporting jobs to our area. And the best is yet to come. While we have reached the end of the road, our prosperity in Rock County has only just begun. It is impossible to accomplish a project of this magnitude alone. We had dozens of partners in this project, and it would take another page to thank everyone who made it happen. This successful project is an example of what we do best at Forward Janesville: we are Community Conveners. We get the right people to the table, and we get things done. FOURTH QUARTER 2021 • 15 Dan Cunningham This successful project is an example of what we do best at Forward Janesville: we are Community Conveners. We get the right people to the table, and we get things done.