Massachusetts is expected to receive $9 billion from the federal government after President Joe Biden signed his $1 trillion infrastructure deal into law.
The Bay State has a long to-do list, with $4.2 billion dedicated to road repairs and $2.5 billion for public transportation. Another $1 billion has been allocated to repair more than 470 unsafe bridges, with $1 billion earmarked to remove lead pipes.
"For Massachusetts, it's extremely significant," said Democratic U.S. Rep. William Keating. "We're an older northeast state."
"The maintenance has been deferred, and when you defer it, the cost of ultimately dealing with it goes up," said State Rep. William Straus, a Democrat and chair of the House's transportation committee.
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More on the infrastructure plan
Transportation advocates welcome the new federal assistance as long as they money is spent right and in the right places.
"We need this money to serve areas that don't have transit or to do projects to make the existing transit work better," said Jerred Johnson of Transit Matters.
One of the more high-profile ticket items is the replacement of the Bourne Bridge and the Sagamore Bridge. They're expected to become obsolete in the next five years.
"We trail almost every advanced country in the world in our infrastructure, so this was critical," Keating said.
The state has been planning and counting on this infusion of federal cash. But some worry it's only a short-term fix.
"While this money is needed, in a way, it doesn't solve the long-term problem … of reliable transportation funding," Straus said.
A number of these projects have been in the works. Still, experts says it could be a while before people see actual shovels in the ground because of this funding.
