By state mandate, the County Highway Commissioner position was created in 1911. During the summer and fall of 1918, the Portage County Highway Department constructed one of the best routes in the county connecting the paper mills for Whiting-Plover to Stevens Point. This was the county's first concrete road - three miles long and 15 feet wide.
Today the Portage County Highway Department maintains 434 miles of county and 156 miles of state roads with 51 employees. They will continue to provide a safe, efficient, and cost-effective road and bridge system to enhance the quality of life for its residents and visitors.