With the support of House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) and State Senator Brendan P. Crighton (D-Lynn), the House and Senate have finalized a $1.185 billion transportation infrastructure bond bill that will provide Lynnfield with $644,599.51 in state Chapter 90 funding assistance to help maintain its roads and bridges.
House Bill 4307, “An Act financing long-term improvements to municipal roads and bridges,” was enacted in both legislative branches on July 31, with the House voting 156-0 and the Senate voting 39-0 to approve the funding. The bill is now on Gov. Maura Healey’s desk for her review and signature.
While previous Chapter 90 bills have typically allocated a total of $200 million annually to cities and towns, House Bill 4307 increases that amount to $300 million for Fiscal Year 2026. When this funding is distributed, $200 million will be allocated to municipalities using the traditional three-prong formula that is based on the weighted average of each community’s local road mileage (58.33%), population (20.83%) and employment (20.83%). The remaining $100 million will be allocated based strictly on local road mileage.
Jones and Crighton noted that Lynnfield will receive $416,217.15 using the traditional Chapter 90 funding formula and will receive an additional $228,382.36 in state funding based on road mileage alone.
“Cities and towns rely on their annual Chapter 90 allocations to help maintain their local transportation infrastructure and ensure that it remains in a state of good repair,” said Jones. “I’m pleased the House and Senate agreed to expand the program’s funding this year so communities like Lynnfield can prioritize additional projects to help make our roads and bridges safer for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians.”
Crighton added, “This historic level of funding will help cities and towns improve their roads and sidewalks along with other transportation infrastructure.
“As we are experiencing increasing traffic congestion and the negative impacts of climate change, it is crucial that we prioritize investments that make it easier for our residents to travel safely. Thank you to Senate President Spilka for her steadfast leadership and commitment to transformative infrastructure,” he said.
The Chapter 90 program was created by the Legislature in 1973 to help cities and towns offset the costs associated with the construction, repair and maintenance of local roads and bridges. This funding, which is provided annually on a reimbursable basis, can also be used for related transportation infrastructure work such as sidewalks, traffic signalization and street lighting.
In addition to the $300 million in Chapter 90 funding, House Bill 4307 authorizes $885 million in bond funding to support three non-Chapter 90 transportation-related initiatives, including:
- $500 million for the bridge and pavement lifecycle asset management program, which assists communities with non-federally aided roadway and bridge projects
- $200 million for modernization and resilience upgrades to municipally owned culverts and small bridges
- $185 million for statewide capital projects aimed at easing congestion and improving safety through multimodal infrastructure improvements
Healey has until Aug. 10 to sign House Bill 4307 into law.
