Governor proposes $200 million for culvert and small bridge upgrades. Increases road and bridge funding by 60-80 percent for rural and small towns

Lenox - On March 18, 2025, Governor Maura Healey, Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt, Energy & Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper and Highway Administrator Jonathon Gulliver visited Lenox and Becket to promote Governor Healey’s proposal to upgrade culverts and rural roads and bridges across Massachusetts. 

“Our transportation plan is about giving all of our cities and towns the resources they need to make upgrades to their transportation infrastructure that meet the unique needs of their communities,” said Governor Healey. “We heard loud and clear from our rural and small towns in particular that they have been struggling to keep up needed culvert replacements, so we want to supercharge the funding available to get these projects moving. We’re also proposing to make the Chapter 90 formula more fair and dramatically increasing funding so that every town, including our rural and small communities, can fix their roads and bridges.”

“This historic transportation plan will help all our mayors and town administrators tackle their urgent infrastructure needs,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “As a former Mayor, I know that our investment in transportation will help improve the quality of life for all our residents by creating jobs, protecting communities from storms, making commutes easier and stimulating local economies in every part of our state.”

“Lenox was honored to host Governor Healey and her team today to discuss the specific transportation infrastructure challenges we face here in Berkshire County. The Healey-Driscoll Administration’s transportation funding plan, including practical changes to the Chapter 90 program, will benefit all of our communities here in the Berkshires and across the Commonwealth,” said Jay R. Green, J.D., Town Manager of Lenox. “As a Town Manager representing Berkshire Communities on the Chapter 90 Advisory Group, it’s gratifying to know that when the Healey-Driscoll administration asked for local government’s feedback, they listened, and they acted—not letting the work of the Advisory Group be another report that sits on the shelf. These practical recommendations will benefit every community across the Commonwealth and are achievable steps towards modernizing the Commonwealth’s transportation policy to address contemporary challenges facing municipalities in local roadway maintenance especially here in the Berkshires.”

During the visit, Governor Healey convened small town administration officials and regional development leaders to discuss the transportation needs of the region and how her transportation proposals can help. The Governor’s $8 billion transportation plan proposes to use $200 million in Fair Share revenue to upgrade culverts and small bridges. A culvert is a man-made structure, typically a pipe or tunnel, that carries water under roads and railways. As climate change intensifies, annual precipitation is expected to increase in intensity across Massachusetts. Already, there has been a 60 percent increase in the amount of precipitation that fell on the heaviest precipitation days from 1958 to 2022, and many culverts were designed using outdated precipitation estimates. In addition, undersized culverts are one of the biggest sources of river and stream habitat damage. Larger, storm-smart culverts also benefit fish and wildlife.  

Governor Healey and her team then stopped by a successful culvert replacement project in Becket that is an example of the work that can be done through state investment. Before replacement, the culvert on Bonny Rigg Hill Road failed three times in six years during severe storms, washing out the roadway and threatening public safety. In 2017, the undersized culvert was replaced with a larger, safer structure that is designed to withstand current and future storms, and the road has not overtopped since. Culvert upgrades make transportation infrastructure stronger, safer, and better for fish and wildlife.

Governor Healey has also proposed a Chapter 90 bill that introduces a revised distribution formula, allocating an additional $100 million based solely on road mileage to better support smaller and rural communities. As a result, most Western Mass communities will see a 60-80 percent increase in annual funding. Becket’s funding would increase by 80 percent and Lenox’s would increase by 62 percent. Overall, the bill proposes $1.5 billion over five years to increase Chapter 90 funding to $300 million annually, a 50 percent increase over the traditional $200 million.

“The Healey-Driscoll Administration has a strategic plan to secure funding from various sources to build a transportation system that serves the people of Massachusetts both now and for generations to come,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. “Today, we’re highlighting culverts because they are our first line of defense against the growing impacts of climate change—helping to manage more severe storms, rising waterways, and protecting the very infrastructure that ensures safe and efficient travel.”

“Culvert replacements are a win-win for people and nature. For every dollar we invest in weather-ready infrastructure, we can save around $13 in avoided damages down the line,” said Energy & Environment Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “We are grateful to Governor Healey for championing this historic investment in safe, resilient transportation infrastructure. This investment will greatly expand the support we provide to local leaders to future-proof their communities in the Berkshires and beyond.”

Last 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, and later visited the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 4 in Medway to highlight how the plan will create up to 140,000 jobs across the state. Governor Healey then visited Conway to highlight how her proposals will improve roads, bridges, culverts and regional transit, especially for small and rural communities. Governor Healey also visited the MBTA Boston Engine Terminal, a commuter rail maintenance facility in Somerville, with MBTA General Manger Phil Eng last week, to promote her plan to stabilize the MBTA’s finances.