Healey-Driscoll Administration Advances North Station Draw One Bridge Replacement Project, Job Creation

Healey-Driscoll Administration Advances North Station Draw One Bridge Replacement Project, Job Creation 

Project will create more than 15,600 jobs, expand rail capacity, and improve reliability for millions of riders in Massachusetts 

 

BOSTON – Governor Maura Healey today announced the next major step in delivering the North Station Draw One Bridge Replacement Project, a transformative infrastructure investment that will modernize a critical rail connection between Boston and Cambridge that serves the MBTA Commuter Rail and Amtrak’s Downeaster Service. 

 

The project is supported by a $472.3 million federal grant, the largest federal infrastructure award in MBTA history, and is expected to create more than 15,600 direct and indirect jobs across Massachusetts. 

 

At an event today joined by Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, Interim Secretary and General Manager Phil Eng, and members of the Ironworkers and union building trades who will help deliver the project, Governor Healey marked the signing of a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) to support construction of the new bridge. This agreement will help ensure the project is completed safely, on time and on budget. 

 

“Replacing the Draw One Bridge is one of the most important rail infrastructure projects in Massachusetts history,” said Governor Maura Healey. “This project represents the kind of investments we are making in Massachusetts - creating thousands of good jobs while rebuilding critical infrastructure that keeps our economy and transportation network moving. This agreement will help ensure this project is completely safely, on time and on budget, and we’re proud to stand with our partners in labor to deliver this for the people of Massachusetts.” 

 

“Every week, more than a thousand trains rely on the Draw One Bridge to reach North Station,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “Replacing this aging infrastructure will improve reliability, expand capacity, and strengthen rail connections across Massachusetts and Northern New England and support expanded regional rail service for years to come.” 

 

The project will be delivered under a PLA to promote strong collaboration between labor and contractors while supporting workforce stability and preventing construction disruptions. The agreement establishes consistent wages, safety standards, and working conditions for contractors and subcontractors, helping ensure the project is delivered safely and efficiently by a highly skilled workforce. The construction effort is expected to create more than 15,600 direct and indirect jobs and represents the largest Project Labor Agreement executed since Governor Healey signed an executive order to ensure major construction projects are completed safely, on time and on budget. 

 

“Under the leadership of the Healey-Driscoll Administration, we are focused on delivering critical infrastructure projects like the North Station Draw 1 Bridge replacement. We are proud of the jobs that work like this will create and support,” said Interim Transportation Secretary and MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng. “This Project Labor Agreement is invaluable to the successful delivery of Draw 1. It provides labor stability, harmony, and predictability for this highly complex, multi-year construction effort, which will replace two movable bridges dating back to 1931 while ensuring the MBTA can maintain active rail operations and service for the public. I am honored to be part of this Administration, standing side by side with our labor partners who bring specialized skills and expertise to this complex work.” 

 

“Local 7 is proud to stand with our brothers and sisters in the building trades as we work to build a better Boston,” said Vinny Coyle, Business Manager, Iron Workers Local 7. “PLAs have been proven time and again to not only support union jobs, but also to ensure that projects are completed safely, on-time and on- or under-budget. Governor Healey recognizes this fact, which is why she has supported PLAs on public construction projects. We are eager to get to work on these major infrastructure projects and do our part to make sure our public transit systems are the safest and highest quality in the industry." 

 

“PLA’s guarantee safe working conditions, fair wages, good health insurance, and a secure retirement for workers,” said Frank Callahan, President, MA Building Trades Council. “Every man and woman who labors in the construction industry deserves that. Time and time again PLA’s have been shown to be the most effective way to provide career opportunities in construction to women, people of color, and veterans. Governor Healey understands that fact – which is why she has been such a strong supporter of PLA’s on public construction projects. We are proud to stand here with her today." 

“Project Labor Agreements guarantee that projects are completed on time and on budget with the safest, most highly trained, and most inclusive construction workforce around - workers who also make good wages and benefits that allows them to stay in our state and invest in our local communities,” said Chrissy Lynch, President, Massachusetts AFL-CIO. “We are proud to partner with the Healey Administration to put more people to work building up the infrastructure that connects millions of workers, employers, students, and families across the Commonwealth.”  

“Project labor agreements do more than deliver projects on time and on budget, they deliver opportunity,” said Chaton Green. Business Agent, Greater Boston Building Trades. “My own career began because of a PLA. Through a PLA, I became a union Sprinkler Fitter, started making a living wage, earned retirement benefits, healthcare for my entire family, and the security to plan for the future. And more importantly, I was able to stay in my community, support my family, and contribute and give back in a meaningful way to the city I love. Governor Healey understands the power of PLA’s, and that’s why we are proud to partner to make that story a reality for more families.” 

“The North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters are proud to partner with the Healey-Driscoll Administration to deliver this transformative infrastructure project,” said Joe Byrne Executive Secretary Treasurer of NASRCC. “Project Labor Agreements ensure that work like this is completed safely, on time, and by highly trained professionals and apprentices which creates family-sustaining careers and opportunities for the next generation of skilled tradespeople.”Draw One serves as the primary rail gateway into North Station, carrying more than 1,100 passenger trains each week on the MBTA Commuter Rail and Amtrak’s Downeaster service. The existing bridge, a Depression-era structure spanning the Charles River, will be replaced with new drawbridge spans designed to increase rail capacity, improve reliability, and support expanded regional rail service for riders across Greater Boston and Northern New England. The project will expand the number of tracks crossing the river from four to six, while increasing capacity at North Station to 12 total tracks. 

 

The project will expand the number of tracks crossing the river from four to six and increase capacity at North Station to 12 total tracks, helping reduce congestion and improve reliability for commuter rail and intercity trains entering and leaving Boston. 

 

Through innovative design-build strategies, the MBTA has shortened the construction timeline from eight years to approximately 6.5 years, ensuring Massachusetts residents experience the benefits of a more reliable rail system sooner. The project is currently in procurement, and contractor selection is pending. The Project Labor Agreement does not prohibit non-union contractors from bidding, and all qualified firms may compete for the work. 

 

Under Governor Healey’s Executive Order on public construction projects, signed in March 2025, state agencies review construction projects over $35 million to determine whether a Project Labor Agreement serves the best interest of the Commonwealth. The order provides a strategic framework to ensure major projects are delivered safely, on time, and on budget. 

 

Today’s announcement also reflects broader labor stability at the MBTA under the leadership of Governor Healey and General Manager Eng. In July 2024, the agency ratified new four-year collective bargaining agreements with all 28 MBTA unions, covering 16 contracts. It marked the first time in 15 years that all MBTA unions were under contract during the same period. 

 

Those agreements included 18 percent wage increases over the life of the contracts and targeted incentives for hard-to-fill positions. Following earlier agreements, the MBTA saw significant increases in bus and rail operator applications, strengthening recruitment and retention and supporting a forward-looking workforce strategy for major capital projects. 

 

The Healey-Driscoll Administration continues to prioritize investments that modernize transportation infrastructure, create good-paying jobs, and improve reliability for riders across the state.