New website allows public to track government infrastructure projects

Photo | Flickr | JJBers The interchange where the Massachusetts Turnpike meets I-95

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By Michael P. Norton | State House News Service

State officials on Tuesday launched a new website to allow people to track projects in Massachusetts funded under the landmark federal infrastructure law.

On Nov. 15, 2021, President Joe Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which will provide $550 billion over fiscal years 2022 through 2026 to invest in roads, bridges, mass transit, water infrastructure, resilience projects, and broadband.

In August, Gov. Charlie Baker signed an $11.4 billion state infrastructure law intended to help Massachusetts cash in on the newly available federal funds. That state law required the creation of a website to allow users to view a breakdown of all federal and state matching dollars used on projects funded under the federal law.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation said the new "project viewer" site will be updated weekly and allows users to filter information by project type and see where government funds are being spent.

In addition to delivering direct aid to each state, the federal law also features more than $110 billion in 35 U.S. Department of Transportation grant programs, which the states may compete for over a five-year period.