North Reading to Receive Nearly $788K in State Road and Bridge Assistance

The House and Senate have finalized a transportation infrastructure bond bill that will provide the town of North Reading with $787,972.75 in funding assistance for local road and bridge maintenance under the state’s Chapter 90 program.

House Bill 5375, An Act financing long-term improvements to municipal roads and bridges, was unanimously approved in both legislative branches, with the support of House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) and Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester). The bill was signed into law by Governor Maura Healey on June 12 as Chapter 100 of the Acts of 2026.

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Established by the Legislature in 1973, the Chapter 90 program provides reimbursement to cities and towns on an annual basis to assist with the maintenance and upkeep of local roads, bridges, sidewalks and other transportation infrastructure.

House Bill 5375 authorizes the statewide distribution of $300 million in Chapter 90 funding for Fiscal Year 2027, with $200 million to be allocated using a weighted formula that considers a community’s local road mileage (58.33%), population (20.83%), and employment levels (20.83%). The remaining $100 million is to be distributed based solely on a community’s local road mileage as a way to help ensure that rural communities with smaller populations receive their fair share of funding.

Under this distribution plan, North Reading is scheduled to receive $524,257.44 using the traditional three-prong formula, plus an additional $263,715.31 based on road mileage alone.

In addition to the Chapter 90 funding, House Bill 5375 also funds a series of statewide transportation initiatives, including:

• $500 million for the bridge and pavement lifecycle asset management program;
• $200 million for transportation capital projects;
• $200 million for the Parkway Resilience Improvement and Safety Modernization (PRISM) program, which provides accelerated deferred maintenance, modernization, and safety improvements for multi-modal transportation infrastructure under the control of the Department of Conservation and Recreation; and
• $200 million for the implementation of rail improvements, including the design and acquisition of commuter rail locomotives.

“The Chapter 90 program represents a critical partnership between the Commonwealth and local communities that helps to ensure the proper maintenance of transportation infrastructure throughout the state,” said Representative Jones. “This funding will be put to good use by North Reading officials as they work to address local road and bridge priorities.”

“Chapter 90 provides a critical funding stream for municipal road and bridge projects, which might not otherwise be possible without the level of support reflected in the bill that was passed with bipartisan support,” said Senator Tarr. “With the Governor’s signature, North Reading will be able to capture this year’s construction season with the resources the town needs to build and maintain safe and efficient transportation infrastructure.”