MassDOT Announces Reprocurement for Service Plazas Contract

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BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) announced that they are preparing to reprocure the contract to rehabilitate, operate and maintain the 18 service plazas across the state.  

"These service plazas play a critical role for our residents, visitors, workers and economy. MassDOT's focus has always been on delivering the highest-quality service plazas that offer the best value for taxpayers," said Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver, who will oversee the process. "After careful consideration, we have determined that the best path forward to ensure the success of this project is to reprocure the contract. This will allow us to make any necessary changes to the RFP to ensure we are attracting robust interest from highly qualified bidders and securing the best value possible." 

MassDOT will also work with the current lease holders to ensure that travelers and workers do not experience disruptions to essential services. 

Earlier this year – after a lengthy, multi-stage procurement process – the MassDOT Board authorized Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt to award the Transition and Lease Agreements for the service plazas to Applegreen. After signing a Transition Agreement, and during the lease negotiation process, Applegreen made the decision to withdraw.  

After careful evaluation of all options, MassDOT is preparing to reprocure the service plaza contract in order to deliver the highest quality facilities and services for travelers while ensuring the best value for taxpayers and toll payers. MassDOT will begin negotiations with the current leaseholders for extensions immediately to ensure continuity of service and labor at the plazas. 

MassDOT has been reviewing the original procurement and will seek feedback from the industry to develop recommendations for a revised Request for Proposals that will best ensure robust interest from high-quality bidders and set the project up for success. 

Day-to-day management of the service plazas is being transferred to the MassDOT Highway Division to ensure structured performance oversight, regular inspections and centralized corrective action. 


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Neal's Office Among Those Targeted by Suspicious Mailings

Staff Reports
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — U.S. Rep. Richard Neal was among congressmen apparently targeted by someone mailing suspicious envelopes. 
 
According to a report in The Berkshire Eagle, an envelope containing a powdery substance was discovered by postal inspectors before reaching Neal's Pittsfield office in the Silvio O. Conte Federal Building.
 
Nearly 40 members of Congress have received envelopes containing white powder, according to The Guardian. More than 100 letters are thought to be in the U.S. mail system and the FBI, Capitol Police and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service were investigating the mailings that have also been sent to elections officials in various states. 
 
The mailings have been sent to both Republican and Democrat officeholders and several congressional district offices had to be evacuated in the last week or so after envelopes were opened in them. 
 

Earlier today, my Bronx district office received an envelope delivered by mail that contained a suspicious substance. Local law enforcement responded swiftly and, after investigating, determined the substance to be non-hazardous.

— Rep. Ritchie Torres (@repritchie.bsky.social) October 16, 2026 at 3:10 PM
The Guardian reported that the FBI is warning officials to look for envelopes processed through a north Texas center and that carry a postmark or stamp stating "Thinking of You."
 
The Eagle states that Neal's office was alerted on Saturday that it might be getting a suspicious package; inspectors seized the envelope at the Fenn Street post office on Monday.
 
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