BOSTON, MA — Governor Maura Healey recently joined Phillip Eng, Interim Massachusetts Department of Transportation Secretary and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) General Manager and CEO, along with labor leaders and local officials to break ground on the North Station Draw One Bridge Replacement Project.
The project will replace nearly century-old rail infrastructure over the Charles River, increase the number of tracks, and make critical track and signal improvements along the northside corridor. The project will create more than 15,000 jobs and improve service for millions of MBTA Commuter Rail and Amtrak passengers each year.
“This is what it looks like when we invest in Massachusetts — thousands of good jobs, better and more reliable transportation, and infrastructure that will serve people and our economy for generations,” Healey said. “Draw One is nearly 100 years old and one of the most important connections in our rail system. We fought hard to win the federal funding, brought labor and industry together, and now we’re getting to work. This project is going to make a real difference for riders, workers, and communities across Massachusetts.”
“Under the leadership of the Healey-Driscoll administration, we are delivering long-needed infrastructure projects that are essential to ensuring our transit system delivers for generations to come," Eng said. "The North Station Draw 1 Bridge project is another commitment fulfilled as we begin the $1.2 billion replacement of this nearly century-old facility carrying all of our commuter rail lines to the north."
The North Station Draw One Bridge carries MBTA Commuter Rail service on the Haverhill, Lowell, Newburyport/Rockport, and Fitchburg lines, as well as Amtrak Downeaster trains. More than 11 million passengers travel across the bridge each year.
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Built in 1931, the existing bridge carries four tracks across the Charles River. The replacement project will construct new vertical lift bridge structures capable of carrying six tracks. At North Station, two additional station tracks will be connected to the rail network, increasing the total number of tracks from 10 to 12 and providing additional capacity for future service.
The project will also replace existing bridge approaches, build a new control and maintenance facility, and make approximately 1.5 miles of track and signal improvements north of the bridge. The MBTA has developed construction strategies to reduce the project timeline from an originally estimated eight years to approximately six and a half years, with completion expected in fall 2032.
Earlier this year, Healey announced that the project will be delivered under a Project Labor Agreement with the Greater Boston Building Trades. The agreement establishes consistent wages, safety standards, and working conditions, supports workforce stability, and is designed to help ensure the highly complex project is delivered safely and efficiently.
In September 2024, the MBTA secured $472.3 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Infrastructure Project Assistance program to support the project. At the time, it was the largest federal grant award in MBTA history.
