Healey signs $375 million infrastructure package delivering Chapter 90 funds to Massachusetts cities and towns

Governor Maura Healey on Friday signed a bill in Melrose that she said will deliver $375,000,000 in infrastructure investments statewide, including $200,000,000 in Chapter 90 municipal roadway funding and an additional $175,000,000 in infrastructure grants to cities and towns.

At a ceremony in Melrose, Mayor Jen Gregoraitis said the Chapter 90 funding is “an indispensable resource” for local governments, noting it pays for resurfacing, pothole repair and a wider set of transportation projects. “Chapter 90 is an indispensable resources resource for cities like Melrose,” Gregoraitis said, and she listed recent local work supported by such dollars, naming sidewalk additions on Altamon Ave, Speer Street and Hancock Street, intersection calming on Poplar Street, Emerson Street and Warwick Road, and improvements in the Hoover School neighborhood and on Howard Street at Green, Clifford and Elm Streets.

Healey framed the package as a collaborative effort between the executive branch and the legislature. “We are here today to announce $375,000,000 in infrastructure investments in cities and towns across the state,” she said, adding the funds will support bridges, roads, sidewalks, public transit, electric-vehicle access and other local priorities. The governor described the allocation as a mix of direct Chapter 90 funding and targeted infrastructure grants "that will be invested in communities across Massachusetts."

During her remarks Healey gave a breakdown of the package: “200,000,000 in Chapter 90 investment with an additional 175,000,000 for infrastructure grants,” and she said the plan continues a mileage-based increase intended to benefit rural communities that tend to have longer roads and fewer resources for maintenance. The governor also listed program priorities that include support for electric vehicles in regional transit authorities and repairs to small, historic bridges.

Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, a former mayor, framed the investment as essential local government work, saying fixing potholes, maintaining sidewalks and repairing bridges affects both quality of life and safety. Driscoll thanked local officials in attendance, naming town and city managers and several mayors, and highlighted MassDOT’s role; she also emphasized regional equity and noted inflation has increased maintenance costs.

Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation Monica Tibbets Nutt told attendees Chapter 90 allows municipalities to prioritize their own transportation needs and that MassDOT will work with cities and towns to implement the projects. “Money going straight to the communities allows them to prioritize the transportation projects that they know they need,” Tibbets Nutt said.

The signing was ceremonial; the officials present praised local-state partnerships and urged municipalities to begin planning projects. The event closed after the governor completed the signing and officials exchanged brief remarks.

What happens next: Healey and administration officials said MassDOT will coordinate with municipalities in the coming months to distribute funds and support implementation; officials did not provide exact timelines for each community’s allocations. Specific project schedules and grant application details were not specified at the ceremony.