BOSTON, MA — Governor Maura Healey announces the next step in delivering the North Station Draw One Bridge Replacement Project, an infrastructure investment that will modernize a critical rail connection between Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts, that serves the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (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 joined by Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, Interim Secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and MBTA General Manager Phil Eng, and members of the Ironworkers and union building trades who will help deliver the project, 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,” Healey said. “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.”
The project will be delivered under a PLA to promote 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 Healey signed an executive order to ensure major construction projects are completed safely, on time, and on budget.
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“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,” Eng said. “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.”
“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, PLAs 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 PLAs on public construction projects. We are proud to stand here with her today."
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 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.
The PLA announcement also reflects broader labor stability at the MBTA under the leadership of Healey and 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.
