Press Release: 4/28/2026
MassDOT Celebrates Early Completion of Maffa Way Bridge Replacement, Advancing Safer, Faster Travel in Boston and Somerville
BOSTON/SOMERVILLE — In a ribbon cutting ceremony today, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) celebrated the completion of the Maffa Way/Mystic Avenue Bridge superstructure replacements project in Boston and Somerville. Delivered nearly nine months ahead of schedule, the project replaced two deteriorated bridge superstructures that carry vehicles and pedestrians over the MBTA’s Orange Line and Commuter Rail, while significantly upgrading transit, bicycle, and pedestrian infrastructure along this critical corridor. The project will provide improved safety, accessibility, and reliability for drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, and transit users.
“We are focused on delivering transportation projects faster so people can get where they need to go safely and reliably,” said Governor Maura Healey. “By completing this project months ahead of schedule, we are reducing disruptions for residents and businesses while improving transit access, road safety and connectivity in Boston and Somerville. This is exactly the kind of coordinated, results-driven work we are delivering across Massachusetts to modernize infrastructure and move projects forward.”
"MassDOT and the MBTA are pleased to deliver this critical project for Maffa Way, Mystic Avenue, and the surrounding roadways, with improvements to safety, accessibility, and mobility for all road users along this busy corridor," said Interim Secretary of Transportation and MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng. "Thanks to strong collaboration between MassDOT, the MBTA, our municipal partners, Keolis, CSX, and our contractors, we are completing this work nearly nine months ahead of schedule and providing enhanced multimodal access, transit efficiency, and safety. Under the Healey-Driscoll Administration, we are committed to making strategic investments that repair aging infrastructure and deliver reliable transportation options for residents, commuters, and businesses across the Commonwealth."
“Completion of this project is really two success stories wrapped in one: first, the two bridges are now configured to truly and safely meet the multi-modal travel demands of today, and second, it represents the result of an unprecedented level of coordination involving the cities of Boston and Somerville, the MBTA, Keolis, Amtrak, and CSX, to allow work to occur in one of the most complex locations in Massachusetts,” said Undersecretary and State Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver. “I want to thank the Highway Division team members from District 6 for their proactive and sustained leadership on this dynamic project and for their efforts to be creative and innovative in finding ways to get this project done nine months early while simultaneously working around multiple active rail lines.”
The project included the replacement of two deteriorated bridge superstructures that carry vehicles and pedestrians over the Orange Line and Commuter Rail, along with necessary repairs to the substructure of each bridge. Each bridge now features dedicated sidewalks, protected bike lanes, and bus-only lanes, improving safety and access for all users. Pedestrian, bicycle, and transit accommodations were also upgraded on Lombardi Street between Broadway and Mystic Avenue, on Broadway and Maffa Way between Lombardi Street and Caldwell Street, and between Sullivan Square Station and Mystic Avenue.
The previous bus lanes on Broadway eastbound between Lombardi Street and Sullivan Station and the turn lane between Sullivan Station from Mystic Ave have been upgraded and expanded to improve reliability and efficiency. New bus lanes have also been added on Mystic Ave westbound and Lombardi Street southbound. These bus lanes help Routes 85, 89, 90, 95, and 101 run more safely and with more consistent travel times, and support operations between Charlestown Garage and Sullivan Station to help guarantee trips start on time.
Transit signal priority is installed and activated at the intersection of Mystic Ave at Grand Union Boulevard and Lombardi St and the intersection of Broadway at Lombardi Street, reducing delays at red lights and helping buses move more efficiently through congested areas. The addition of these transit priority infrastructure measures helps support Better Bus Network changes allowing the MBTA to continue to grow bus service. The most recent addition being Route 85, which replaced Route CT2 and has a new connection to Assembly that now runs through bus lanes.
This project reflects the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s broader efforts to improve infrastructure across Massachusetts by streamlining construction schedules and prioritizing projects that deliver immediate benefits for residents. Recent efforts include advancing bridge and roadway repairs, expanding bus priority infrastructure, and fast-tracking key investments that improve reliability and reduce travel times across the transportation network.
Construction began in spring of 2024 and reached full beneficial use in December of 2025. Work was completed approximately 9 months ahead of schedule, thanks to coordination between MassDOT, Skanska, the MBTA, Keolis, and CSX during rail shutdowns, which allowed much of the preliminary work to be completed ahead of schedule. Remaining work includes final punch list items and will be completed by winter of 2026. The construction cost was approximately $54.9 million, with an additional $19 million for busing and rail outage support.
Statements of Support:
“Finishing nine months ahead of schedule on work as complex as the Maffa Bridge replacement doesn’t happen by accident. It happens through intense cross-agency coordination and effort to deliver for our residents,” said Somerville Mayor Jake Wilson. “Now, where there were deteriorating safety concerns, Somerville has better sidewalks, protected bike and bus-only lanes, and more reliable travel through a critical connection between us and Boston. I’m grateful to the Healey-Driscoll Administration, the MassDOT team, our Somerville mobility staff, and the many partners who helped get it done.”
"I am thrilled to see that the Maffa Way Bridge and Mystic Avenue Bridge replacement project has been completed, which will improve public safety and reliability for this high-traffic area that many of my constituents commute through every day," said Senator Sal N. DiDomenico. "These bridges were close to being structurally deficient and on top of fixing this safety risk, these improvements will also bolster transit, bicycle, and pedestrian accommodations on surrounding roadways. I want to thank the MassDOT team and Interim Secretary of Transportation Phillip Eng, for their all their efforts to get this project done and improve the lives of our neighbors and all the people passing through this area."
“I am delighted by the completion of the Maffa Way/Mystic Avenue Bridge superstructure replacement project. This is the latest in a series of MassDOT initiatives to improve transportation infrastructure and bike and pedestrian facilities serving the East Somerville neighborhood. I am particularly proud of the efforts we’ve made with this project to include significantly enhanced bicycle, pedestrian, and transit accommodations. Thank you to all of my constituents and colleagues as well as to the City of Somerville, MassDOT, and to all the bike and pedestrian advocates who engaged in the design process to help us reach today’s successful project conclusion.” said Representative Mike Connolly.
"Safe transportation in a dense, urban area like Somerville is essential to quality of life and access to daily needs — for pedestrians, bikers, and drivers alike. This project reflects the state's commitment to efficiently improving that quality of life for our residents." said Representative Christine Barber.
“Somerville and Charlestown are environmental justice communities that have carried more than their fair share of traffic and pollution for decades. Today we are proud to deliver infrastructure that serves the people who live here, walk here, bike here, and ride the bus here,” said Representative Erika Uyterhoeven.