Press Releases

LOWELL, MA – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) and Fitchburg state and local leaders kicked off National Transportation Week by celebrating the $20 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funding that is being used to complete two key bridge projects in the city’s downtown. That funding will be used to preserve the Circle Street Bridge and replace the Water Street Bridges.

“Completion of the Circle Street and Water Street Bridges will improve the lives of everyone who calls Fitchburg home. These projects will make the city safer, more accessible, and less congested, and they’re the perfect example of why my vote for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was so easy,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “This legislation is having a similar impact on every community across the Commonwealth, and I’m grateful to our colleagues at MassDOT and the state and local levels working tirelessly to put this funding to use as effectively as possible.”

“Thank you to Congresswoman Trahan for once again demonstrating outstanding collaboration and partnership to help our city address our numerous bridge needs,” said Fitchburg Mayor Stephen L. DiNatale.

Today’s event was held at the Circle Street Bridge, which will see improvements thanks to a $3.3 million total investment, including $2.6 million in BIL funding and $661k in state funding. The existing bridge’s concrete deck and steel beam below have multiple deficiencies, and sections of the sidewalk have limited ramp accessibility. The preservation project, set to start this year, will include a replaced steel beam, a reinforced concrete deck, and accessible ramps on the south side of the bridge. Additional project details include roadway work along Circle Street leading up to the bridge.

“Additional new federal funding for Massachusetts under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, along with the Baker-Polito Administration’s $9.7 billion MassTRAC Bond Bill will give us a once in a lifetime opportunity to move forward with important transportation and environmental projects that will directly benefit the entire Commonwealth,” said Transportation Secretary Jamey Tesler. “We appreciate the work done by the Congressional delegation to secure additional federal funding for hundreds of infrastructure projects which will have tremendous positive impacts on local economies in the state and on improving the safety and reliability of our transportation system.”

The group also discussed the upcoming replacement of the Water Street Bridges, which will cost $19.6 million, with $15.6 million of that covered by BIL funding and $4 million provided by the state. The bridge over Boulder Drive and Pan Am Railroad was built in 1900 and rehabilitated in 1953, and the other bridge over the Nashua River was constructed in 1937 and rehabilitated in 1967. Both bridges carry over 20,000 vehicles each daily and are key access points to the city’s downtown. With construction set to begin in 2024, the bridge over Boulder Drive and Pan Am Railroad will be fully replaced while the bridge over the Nashua River will have its superstructure replaced.

"I am so grateful for Congresswoman Trahan's advocacy to prioritize these much-needed projects,” said State Senator John Cronin. “This critical federal infrastructure funding represents another step in the right direction for both the city of Fitchburg and the North Central Mass region."

"I have said it time and again -- there is no better partner in Congress than Lori Trahan,” said State Representative Michael Kushmerek. “This is yet another example of her collaborative ability to work with local and state officials to ensure that federal funding gets to the projects and communities that need it the most."

Trahan supported passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law last December. The legislation is delivering more than $9.5 billion in formula funding to Massachusetts, including $1.1 billion in new bridge funding. Trahan joined Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito in Lowell earlier this year to announce how the funding was going to be put to use.

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