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Above, (L-R) Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, State Rep. Jeff Roy, State Rep. Mike Soter, IUOE Local 4 Business Manager Mike Bowes, Medway Town Administrator Michael E. Boynton (at lectern), and Gov. Maura Healey.
Healey arrives and gets her MassDOT gear from an aide.
Governor Maura Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll continued their Transforming Transportation Road Show at the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 4 in Medway. After being greeted by local leaders including Medway Town Administrator Michael E. Boynton, and State Representatives Jeffrey Roy and Michael Soter, the pair toured the training facility, met with apprentices and union members, and highlighted the Governor’s $8 billion plan to improve transportation, which she said will create up to 140,000 jobs across the state.
“In 2025, with municipalities across the Commonwealth facing the fiscal challenges of funding essential everyday services such as fire, police and public education with very limited resources, the opportunity to partner with our state leaders to identify and finance critical transportation needs is both welcomed and urged,” said Medway Town Manager Boynton. “Local roads, bridges, culverts and sidewalks are in immediate need of repair or replacement, and the ability to leverage state dollars toward those projects is an absolute must. In Medway, we are currently partnering with our state colleagues to fund a redesign of Route 109 from Route 126 to the Milford town line that will not only improve roadway safety but will help us open new doors to economic growth and development in the region. This is but one example of how working together we can improve the quality of our transportation network here in Massachusetts.”
Above, Lt. Gov Driscoll chats with Medway Town Administrator Michael Boynton and Selectboard member Glenn Trindade.
The Governor’s transportation plan proposes an $8 billion investment over the next 10 years to improve the state’s roads, bridges and regional transportation system and immediately stabilize the finances of the MBTA. It allocates $17.5 million to MassDOT’s workforce and project delivery reserve to boost staffing, hiring, and skills development. This funding will support teams working on key projects like West-East Rail, major construction projects, and road/bridge improvements, ensuring timely and on-budget delivery. These positions will help MassDOT manage its growing capital program and drive resilience improvements statewide.
The plan also includes $10 million for the MBTA Workforce Academy, $400 million to address workforce and safety initiatives identified as necessary by the Federal Transit Authority, and $25 million for Regional Transit Authority workforce recruitment and retention.
A reporter asked Healey whether the new program included anything to upgrade or replace the two bridges in nearby Bellingham that feed traffic to and from Medway, namely Farm Street and Maple Street, both of which have been rated as deficient by state inspectors. Healey deferred that detailed question to other officials. It turns out that the Maple Street Bridge over I-495 - Bellingham project is a major $14.3 million rehabilitation of the bridge consisting of a superstructure replacement. The project is set to be advertised in early 2026 with construction starting in the spring of 2026.
The Farm Street bridges over I-495 northbound and southbound in Bellingham actually underwent repairs to a bridge joint around 2020, but is now rated in good condition.
“Our $8 billion transportation plan is going to improve roads, bridges and public transportation across the state, which will ease congestion and improve quality of life. It’s the hardworking men and women from unions like IUOE who are going to be getting this done for all of us,” said Healey. “This plan represents an incredible opportunity to not only make major upgrades to our transportation, but to also create up to 140,000 good-paying, family-sustaining, and highly skilled jobs. Together, we’re going to make sure Massachusetts is a place where everybody gets where they need to go on time and where working families get the pay, benefits and opportunities they deserve.”
“Behind every dollar we invest into transportation, there are thousands of workers who will turn it into tangible improvements that the people of Massachusetts will experience every day,” said Lieutenant Governor Driscoll. “We’re talking about crane and excavator operators, mechanics, surveyors, technicians, iron and steel workers, carpenters, electricians, and laborers who are going to make it possible. We are committed to working closely with labor to ensure that we have the workforce necessary to deliver on these projects and that our workers are receiving the training and support they need to succeed.”
“The Healey-Driscoll administration continues to transform transportation with a proposed $8 billion dollar investment to fund infrastructure projects, expand public transportation, and support goals to create a state-wide system which is safe, accessible, and resilient,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt, who was notably absent from the event but was included in the press release, quoted here. “We are grateful to Local 4 of the International Union of Operating Engineers for investing in training for its members. Local 4 and other partners in labor unions like them are helping to build an economy which works for everyone, and training is foundational to getting these important jobs done well, done on time, and done safely.”
Above, a crane operator apprentice shows off his ability to deftly move a large load along a ground level path delineated by markers.
“IUOE Local 4 is dedicated to supporting a strong workforce, and we believe that investing in training is essential for both our members and the community we serve. Local 4 members invest over $5 million annually to support the training of our members and apprentices,” said IUOE Local 4 Business Manager Mike Bowes. “Local 4 has two training locations: one in Canton that specializes in dirt equipment, and our second here in Medway that focuses on crane operation. It is this access to training that makes our operators world-class. We look forward to the $8 billion infrastructure package so that our members may get out to work.”
Earlier this month, Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll kicked off the Transforming Transportation Road Show at the Brockton Area Transportation’s Intermodal Transportation Centre to promote the ways in which the plan will support the state’s 15 Regional Transit Authorities.
