Baker-Polito administration awards over $8.5 million in MassWorks grants
Boston — Gov. Charlie Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Jay Ash joined community leaders and legislators Tuesday to announce over $8.5 million in MassWorks Infrastructure Program awards to 10 rural towns. These projects are the first of the MassWorks 2017 grant awards and include the Berkshire-area towns of Mount Washington and Stockbridge.
MassWorks makes grants to municipalities for public infrastructure projects that generate additional private-sector investment. Each year, the MassWorks program allocates 10 percent of awarded funds to assist municipalities with populations of 7,000 or less in completing roadway safety and transportation improvement projects.
Including this year’s awards, the Baker-Polito administration has awarded over $274 million to 134 projects in 106 communities throughout the Commonwealth since the program’s beginning in 2015, spurring the development of over 2 million square feet of commercial and retail space, over 7,000 immediate housing units, at least 7,000 square feet of new public space and 1,200 new hotel rooms and commercial and retail spaces.
2017 Berkshire-area MassWorks award winners:
Mount Washington – Sallie’s Cradle Slope and culvert improvements and related work – $580,000
Mount Washington will repair and improve East Street, the town’s only direct route between Massachusetts and Connecticut, which is vital for the regional workforce. Without this access point, commuters would need to travel an additional 15 miles to reenter Massachusetts.
Stockbridge – Replacement of Interlaken Road (Route 183) over Larrywaug Brook – $1,000,000
Stockbridge will leverage a $500,000 award from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to replace a failing stone arch bridge over the Larrywaug Brook on Route 183. MassWorks funds will close the funding gap for the town, allowing Stockbridge to bond the remaining costs.
