Massachusetts DOT overhauling highway service plazas
Nearly 20 highway service plazas in Massachusetts will be renovated or rebuilt through a $750 million modernization plan.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation said the project will deliver critical upgrades to facilities, amenities and sustainability infrastructure.
“Massachusetts’ highway service plazas are long overdue for a complete reset,” Transportation Secretary and CEO of MassDOT Monica Tibbits-Nutt said. “This investment will deliver the kind of infrastructure travelers expect in a world-class state – and do so in a way that supports local workers and businesses.”
Massachusetts-based Suffolk Construction and Applegreen, a European international fuel retailer and convenience store operator, have been selected to rebuild and operate the travel plazas.
Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2026 on the three-year project.
As many as 750 new local jobs could result from this MassDOT initiative.
“This project will create hundreds of good jobs paying union wages and benefits under the terms of a Project Labor Agreement guaranteeing it will be built by highly skilled, local tradesmen and (tradeswomen) trained in union apprenticeship programs,” said Frank Callahan, president of Massachusetts’ Building Trades Unions. “It also opens up great career opportunities for young apprentices entering the industry.”
Applegreen said all current service plaza employees will be offered employment opportunities during its hiring process. Job fairs and information sessions for current and potential employees are expected to begin later this year.
Input from the community on plaza programming, vendors and regional needs will be sought and led by the Consensus Building Institute.
“This is a long-overdue modernization of vital economic infrastructure,” said James E. Rooney, president and CEO of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. “Modern rest stops support regional mobility, quality of life and competitiveness – and they should reflect the best of what Massachusetts has to offer.”
A list of amenities offered at each of the 18 service plazas being updated in Massachusetts is available online. LL
More Land Line coverage of news from Massachusetts.