Massachusetts DOT Adds $500 Million to State’s Five-Year Transportation Plan

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation announced on June 20 that its board had approved the state’s updated five-year, $14.8 billion capital investment plan for transportation that included an extra $500 million.

The plan, which for the first time encompasses a joint effort by MassDOT and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, adds $19.9 million for highway capacity, bringing the total for that freight-critical area to $335.4 million.

At least $200 million annually is slated to be spent on the maintenance and repair of local roads with $95 million more per year going to state roads, which MassDOT said is an 80% increase over previous funding levels.

“The final Capital Investment Plan represents a transformative, strategic investment plan to restore reliability to the commonwealth’s transportation systems, modernize infrastructure and expansion,” MassDOT Secretary Stephanie Pollack said in a statement on the department’s website.