North Reading To Receive $516,073 For Road and Bridge Repairs

A release from the office of House Minority Leader Brad Jones:

BOSTON – The House and Senate have finalized a $200 million Chapter 90 bond bill that will provide North Reading with $516,073 for local road and bridge repairs in Fiscal Year 2020.

The bond bill was initially approved by the House on May 8 and engrossed by the Senate on May 21. Following the House’s enactment on May 29 and a subsequent vote taken by the Senate on June 6, the bill is now on Governor Charlie Baker’s desk awaiting his signature.

“The House and Senate are fully committed to supporting the Chapter 90 program and providing communities with the resources needed to properly maintain their local roads and bridges,” said House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading). “The funding allocated through this program will allow the Town of North Reading to move forward in addressing some of its most pressing transportation infrastructure needs.”

“This funding is crucial for North Reading and communities across the state; construction season has begun and cities and towns need to address their current transportation needs and projects,” said Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R- Gloucester). “Maintaining our roads not only improves public safety it provides an economic boost to the Commonwealth.”

Established by the Legislature in 1973, the Chapter 90 program allocates funding on an annual basis to cities and towns using a formula that factors in the weighted average of a municipality’s population, employment, and total road miles. The funds are paid out as reimbursements to communities for qualifying infrastructure work.

Chapter 90 funds can be spent on a variety of municipal roadway projects, including resurfacing, drainage, sidewalks, guardrails, traffic control, right-of-way acquisition and street lighting. The funding can also be used for bikeways, landscaping and tree planting associated with certain projects, and for purchasing and maintaining certain road building machinery, equipment and tools.

Governor Baker has until June 16 to sign the bill.