Massachusetts's roadways are at a "critical inflection point" with aging assets, a surge of new funding from Fair Share and an urgency to deliver safer infrastructure faster, according to Jonathan Gulliver, the state Department of Transportation's highway administrator.
Gulliver spoke recently at a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce forum on the "State of the Highways & Bridges," the chamber's latest meeting in its "Transportation First" series, according to StreetsblogMASS.
Jim Rooney, president and CEO of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, opened the session with a framing of the Transportation First series by highlighting housing, climate, economic mobility and regional competitiveness. He emphasized that transportation is not a "standalone" issue, but rather the "thread that ties everything else together."
Gulliver reflected on MassDOT's focus over the past year, from modernizing project delivery and cutting red tape, to making design safer, faster and more transparent.
The Four 'Disruptors'
The discussion then turned to what Gulliver called the "program disruptors" — the four forces shaping how MassDOT manages projects statewide: safety, congestion, climate and aging infrastructure.
Crash data indicates that Massachusetts ranks as the safest state in the country but still averages roughly one roadway death per day. During the pandemic, that number spiked to nearly 400 deaths a year, underscoring how fragile progress can be.
Gulliver emphasized MassDOT's shift toward a "safe system" approach, or designing roads that anticipate mistakes rather than punish them. Weekly fatality reviews are now standard in helping the agency respond to patterns more quickly.
He pointed to Worcester's "peanut" roundabout at Kelley Square, which has reduced crashes dramatically, and new wrong-way ramp detection systems that trigger alerts and send notifications directly back to MassDOT operations.
Climate change also continues to prove itself to be a particularly costly and harmful disruptor. Gulliver cited the recent historic flooding in Leominster — where 10 in. of rain fell in just six hours — as a warning sign of what is still to come.
In addition, he noted that MassDOT is exploring fleet electrification, solar installations over park-and-rides and even pilot projects using low-embodied-carbon concrete to ensure the state is "not just reacting to climate [but] trying to get ahead of it."
Notably, beyond brief mentions of walking trails like the Emerald Necklace, and a case study regarding encouraging drivers to use the Blue Line and commuter rail during the Sumner Tunnel shutdowns, Gulliver did not mention any concerted efforts to shift more trips to walking, biking and transit — things that will be necessary for the state to meet its climate goals.
Aging Infrastructure, Rising Costs
Finally, Massachusetts has the oldest bridge inventory in the nation, with 34 closed bridges (up approximately 27 percent in the last decade) while others are propped up by shoring systems or hindered by restricted loads, StreetsblogMASS reported.
The urgency this creates is pushing new programs and expediting funding to speed up repairs, modernize standards and support cities and towns that cannot meet these needs on their own.
Gulliver also delved into the potential of the state's capital program, noting that the Transportation Finance Commission helped fund critical transportation projects over the last few years.
In this capital program, the value of construction projects is slated to grow from $4.7 billion to $7.9 billion — a 69 percent jump.
When he turned to the positive impact of Massachusetts's Fair Share Amendment, Gulliver praised how working at the state level for funding has made it much easier and faster to put money into motion on infrastructure projects. By borrowing against future Fair Share revenues, the state has been able to issue $1.85 billion in bonds for transportation work.
He also suggested that the new Fair Share funding could let the state finance and build projects more quickly as well.
"We can be faster at putting some of this money out [and] we don't have to have all the strings attached that we do with our federal highway money, [which] slows things down," Gulliver said.
In addition, he talked about an upcoming pilot program that will leverage prefabricated bridges for smaller, closed community bridges across the state, and updating the more than 20,000 culverts across Massachusetts that protect against flooding.
These funding streams also will be used to address unpaved roads, which are particularly salient in the Berkshires, Cape Cod and the North Shore.
This program, set into motion by state Rep. Natalie Blais after adding it to legislation over the last couple years, will provide cities and towns with best practices and funding so that they can ensure the roads are safe and "preserve the character of the roadways."
Megaprojects in Limbo
Gulliver then addressed how the changing federal funding landscape and escalating construction costs have changed the way Massachusetts implements large infrastructure projects.
MassDOT's plans to replace the Sagamore and Bourne bridges on Cape Cod are only partially moving forward. The state has financing lined up to build a new Sagamore Bridge, but the Bourne Bridge still needs billions of dollars before it can proceed.
The Allston I-90 project, as previously reported by StreetsblogMASS, is in an even more challenging spot. After losing $335 million due to the federal government's grant slashing, its design process was put on hold.
To sustain some momentum, though, MassDOT plans to shrink the Allston project's core, move forward with a study to find opportunities to keep the work in motion, and prioritize smaller projects like Boston's Cambridge Street Bridge and the Grand Junction Railroad Bridge.
While it will be some time before transportation becomes a federal priority again, Gulliver is hopeful for the return of grant opportunities like the Reconnecting Communities program.
After his presentation, Gulliver, Rooney and Diana Szynal, the president and CEO of the Springfield Regional Chamber, engaged in a moderated discussion and audience question-and-answer session.
The panel acknowledged how Fair Share "unlocks projects that don't fit neatly into federal buckets," which helps fund everything from local bridges and intersections to walking trails and climate resiliency.
When looking at diversifying funding streams, Gulliver said Massachusetts is not actively pursuing public-private partnerships, as they are in a "good place for now" due to Fair Share bonding and stable federal formula funds, but may revisit the idea if the need arises. He also noted that United States material costs are expected to rise due to the new tariffs, pushing up steel and concrete prices.
Szynal spoke about the needs of western Massachusetts, including I-90's Exit 41 in Westfield, the North End Bridge replacement in Springfield, the Longmeadow Curve on I-91 and improvements to Massachusetts Highways 2 and 9.
In closing, Gulliver offered his vision of a bright transportation future for Massachusetts — one "where cars, trains and other modes are fully interconnected and equitable so people in every town can move quickly and efficiently."
