Gov. Maura Healey proposes $8 billion, 10‑year transportation investment in Medway; officials cite jobs and local projects

Gov. Maura Healey on Thursday unveiled a proposal to invest $8 billion over the next 10 years in Massachusetts transportation infrastructure, saying the package will fund roads, bridges, culverts and transit improvements and create an estimated 40,000 jobs.

"For the first time, ever, our administration ... we're prepared to spend $8,000,000,000 over the next 10 years to help fix roads and bridges and build out the kind of transportation infrastructure we need all over this state," Gov. Maura Healey said during an event at the Local 4 training facility in Medway.

The plan ties state investment to job growth and local projects. "We're gonna use the existing funds that we have and leverage that with smart fiscal management and, importantly, lots of input from communities," Healey said, adding the proposal would not require new taxes.

Why it matters: Healey and administration officials framed the effort as a statewide push to repair what they called decades of underinvestment and to expand climate resilience and transit capacity. The governor said the proposal aims to help "351 cities and towns" address road and bridge needs and to reduce structurally deficient bridges statewide.

Local context and projects Medway officials used the announcement to highlight local investments and projects they said would benefit from the proposed funding. Michael, town manager for Medway, told attendees the town has spent more than $10,000,000 of local tax revenue on roads and sidewalks since 2019 and is working on a $1,400,000 MassWorks grant project to redesign a stretch of Route 109 from the Route 126 intersection to the Milford town line. He also referenced a previous $12,000,000 Route 109 revitalization and a nearby battery energy storage facility under construction that he described as a $210,000,000 project.

Labor, training and workforce Union leaders and administration officials emphasized the training pipeline for the proposed work. Local 4 business manager Mike Bowes said Local 4 invests "over $5,000,000 annually" in training and operates two training locations, one in Canton and one in Medway. "It is this access to training that makes our operators world class," Bowes said.

Frank Callahan, a leader in the building trades, highlighted apprenticeship programs and training investments, saying the statewide building-trades unions invest "over $60,000,000 a year in training the workforce that builds Massachusetts."

MassDOT and administration views Undersecretary of Transportation Hayes Morrison said the administration’s proposed spending "is aimed at providing additional resources to municipalities, expanding public transit, increasing travel options, and investing in critical infrastructure needs." He thanked union partners and said they have expressed confidence that the workforce exists to deliver the projects if funding is available.

Administrator Jonathan Gulliver (as introduced at the event) noted Massachusetts has an "historic bridge system" and said the influx of funding would help remove more bridges from the list of structurally deficient spans.

Federal funding and risks Healey also voiced concern about recent federal actions and possible disruptions to funds, saying she would travel to Washington to advocate that federal money continue to flow to the state for projects including transportation. "A couple weeks ago, we saw the freezing of federal funds ... I'll be in Washington later this week. I'm going to continue to advocate strongly on behalf of Massachusetts," she said.

What officials said about jobs and scope Healey and other speakers tied the plan to workforce needs, listing occupations they expect to be in demand if the plan is enacted: "Crane operators, excavators, other heavy equipment operators ... mechanics and surveyors and technicians, as well as iron workers and steel workers and carpenters and electricians and laborers," the governor said, calling the Medway training facility essential to preparing workers.

Next steps Healey said she expects to work with the Legislature to move the proposal forward but gave no timetable for legislation or implementation details at the event. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken at the Medway event.

Ending Speakers at the event included state and local officials and union leaders who called for swift action to convert the proposal into funded projects and jobs. Healey said she looks forward to "working with our great colleagues in the legislature as we move forward to make this a reality."