AASHTO Journal - Municipal Bridge Program Part of Local Funding Boost

Governor Maura Healey (D) has proposed a four-year $1.2 billion plan to provide elevated funding of $300 million per year for critical local transportation and infrastructure projects in every city and town across Massachusetts – a plan that includes launching a “first-of-its-kind” municipal bridge repair program for the state as well.

[Above photo by MassDOT]

This overall funding proposal would preserve the 50 percent increase in so-called “Chapter 90” funding for local projects that the governor established in 2025.

Concurrently, Gov. Healey launched the Funding for Accelerated Infrastructure Repair or FAIR program that will help municipalities work through their backlog of municipal bridges in need of repair; supported by leveraging “Fair Share” revenue to expand borrowing capacity.

Overseen by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the FAIR program will seek to reopen closed bridges, remove postings on restricted bridges, and preserve additional bridges from falling into either category.

MassDOT is currently advancing and evaluating projects in Franklin, Hampden, Berkshire, and Hampshire counties in Western Massachusetts, with additional locations across the state to follow.

Phillip Eng (at left) and Jonathan Gulliver. Photo via MBTA.

While federal law requires MassDOT to inspect all bridges statewide, maintenance and replacement costs of municipal-owned bridges falls to cities and towns, which face escalating costs and limited revenue. This program addresses these constraints by reducing administrative burdens and providing a dedicated source of funding for these projects, MassDOT noted.

“The Healey-Driscoll Administration has continued to identify ways to respond to and assess the needs of our cities and towns as we work to repair bridges and key infrastructure projects especially in western Massachusetts. This program fills that critical gap,” noted Phil Eng – interim MassDOT secretary and general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, a division of MassDOT – in a statement.

“It allows us to move quickly, reopen closed structures, and prevent further deterioration before it becomes more costly to repair and disruptive to the community,” he said. “As we begin these construction activities, we look forward to working with our municipal partners and stakeholders to provide much-needed support.”

“[This] infusion of funding will target infrastructure with the greatest need,” added Jonathan Gulliver, MassDOT undersecretary and state highway administrator. “Closed or restricted bridges impact public safety as much as mobility, and through the FAIR Program’s equitable approach, we’re focusing on bridges in municipalities that otherwise might face immense challenges to getting these bridges back open and safe for use.”