MassDOT and Rep. Lori Trahan commence construction on a $15.6 million rehab of Westford’s Boston Road, enhancing safety for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians. Upgrades include a new bike lane, sidewalks, water infrastructure and signal modifications, funded by federal and state sources to be completed by 2027.
Town of Westford photo
Massachusetts U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan (Middle) joined officials from the state's Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and local leaders in her hometown of Westford on April 7, 2025, to break ground on a $15.6 million multimodal rehabilitation project along Boston Road.
Massachusetts U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan joined officials from the state's Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and local leaders in her hometown of Westford on April 7, 2025, to break ground on a $15.6 million multimodal rehabilitation project along Boston Road.
MassDOT will upgrade a 1.05-mi. stretch of the roadway between the tip of the Interstate 495 southbound ramp and the Westford Town Center on Main Street, the Lowell Sun reported on April 8, 2025.
The agency's goal is to improve road safety along the route and make it more accessible to pedestrians and cyclists. Part of the effort includes building a new 5-ft.-wide bike lane in tandem with 11-ft.-wide motor vehicle travel lanes in each direction.
Westford is a 35-mi. drive northwest from Boston.
Inside the Westford Museum, which sits at the Town Center on the northern end of the project, Trahan said the project is partially funded with $12 million from the federal Infrastructure Safety and Jobs Act passed in 2021.
"[It helps] transform towns like Westford which have long been left to fend for themselves," she noted. "This law has delivered billions of dollars in federal funding to [Massachusetts] to end the cycle of deferred maintenance of our state's aging infrastructure."
Trahan, a member of the U.S. House since 2019, addressed the Trump administration's freezing of federal funding earlier in the president's still-young term, noting these funds were approved by members of both parties in the House and Senate and have been appropriated to projects in blue and red districts across the country.
"This project, among so many, is going to make Boston Road safer for drivers, for cyclists, for pedestrians. It will help parents get their kids to school on time and themselves to work without the congestion," she said. "Outcomes like this, where people's lives are made better, even if it is just 10 or 15 minutes less in the car each day, is exactly why my vote for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is the easiest one I have had to cast."
Several Upgrades Planned for Boston Road
MassDOT noted in a news release that the planned improvements also include the construction of new sidewalks with vertical granite curbing along the easterly side of Boston Road from Main Street southeast to the I-495 southbound ramps, as well as on the western side from Blakes Hill Road to the I-495 ramps.
Additional upgrades consist of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Architectural Access Board (AAB) compliant wheelchair ramps at all relevant intersections. Modifications to existing traffic signal timings and infrastructure also will be made at three critical intersections: the I-495 southbound ramps, I-495 northbound ramps and Connecticut Highway 110.
According to Westford Town Manager Kristen Las, the Boston Road project also would include installing new water infrastructure running along the route.
"Our water department and our water commissioners have worked tirelessly to allow for the design of a new water main in the area for increased efficiency and predictability," she said. "We also are making this a state-of-the-art stormwater design for environmental sustainability."
In addition, the road work will involve the building of retaining walls and full-depth pavement reclamation throughout the corridor. MassDOT said these enhancements are designed to ensure a safer and more efficient travel experience for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians alike.
The project will be funded with a split of state and federal funding, with 80 percent coming from Washington and 20 percent from the state, alongside a municipal funding agreement to support the project.
Westford's Boston Road upgrades are projected to be completed by the summer of 2027.
Road Work Will Undoubtedly Create Traffic Disruption
Standing alongside Trahan for the ceremonial start of the Westford project was Massachusetts Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt, who said that the rehabilitation of Boston Road will "strengthen the heart of Westford's Town Center" by making it easier for people to navigate through the town.
"It will protect our environment as well with better green spaces, stronger stormwater infrastructure and a design that aligns with our statewide vision for a resilient and sustainable future," said Tibbits-Nutt.
Massachusetts Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver urged drivers to be patient as the Boston Road project moves forward.
"Projects like this are not necessarily easy to pull off," he said. "It is going to be rough — you can't get these projects done without making some disruption in town. We are asking you right up front for your cooperation and understanding as this gets done."
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