MassDOT Launches Community Culvert, Unpaved Roads Grants

04:02PM / Sunday, November 16, 2025Print Story | Email Story

BOSTON - The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Highway Division is announcing updates to Grant Central, a one-stop shop for MassDOT's municipal grant programs.

Updates include launching two new grant programs and implementing a Fully Integrated Application (FIA), an all-in-one funding request application used for all of the MassDOT Highway Division's competitive grant programs. Municipalities may now apply for design support and up to $1,000,000 in construction funding for a single transportation project. Multiple grant programs can be used to fund a single project based on size and scope. Applications are accepted twice per year.???

"Grant Central is a game-changer for municipal leaders. It's a one stop shop for leaders to find out what grant programs they have available to them and as a former mayor, I'm thrilled that we're making it easier for municipal leaders to deliver for their communities," said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “As an administration, we're committed to ensuring our 351 cities and towns can thrive, and these new grants and this application system will give them the resources and tools to do that."

Grant Central will now accept applications for two new programs, the Community Culverts Program, and the Unpaved Roads Program. The Community Culverts Program provides funding to municipalities and Tribal governments for culvert modernization, reconstruction, removal, repair, replacement, and resiliency and biodiversity improvements. The Unpaved Roads Program supports the maintenance, repair, and improvement of locally owned dirt and gravel roads across Massachusetts.??

Grant Central is a streamlined portal that manages MassDOT Highway Division's eight municipal grant programs including the Chapter 90 Program, Complete Streets Funding Program, Shared Streets and Spaces Program, Municipal Pavement Program, Municipal Small Bridge Program, the Local Bottleneck Reduction Program, Community Culverts Program, and the Unpaved Roads Program.??

The new FIA combines the applications of all Highway Division competitive grant programs into one easy to use application. By utilizing unique logic, the application only asks relevant questions based on user inputs. Using the project scope, MassDOT matches the request to the appropriate funding program(s) for consideration.?With FIA, municipalities no longer need to research which grant program to apply to or manage various program deadlines.???

Design is now an eligible expense for all FIA programs. Municipalities may apply for design funding up to $150,000 (unless working with a MassDOT-led designer through the Local Bottleneck Reduction, Community Culverts, or Small Bridge Programs, where design is fully funded). FIA also introduces an increased construction grant limit of $1,000,000 per award, regardless of funding source(s). Finally, equipment and materials grants are available through FIA up to $250,000.??

Applications will be accepted beginning November 6, 2025, and will close January 9, 2026, for the 2026 Fiscal Year.???

Grant Central streamlines MassDOT Highway Division grants, having all information for the eight municipal grant programs in one location at an organized, user-friendly, online portal. Municipal officials who visit the grants portal can read specific details about what each grant program requires for the application to be considered, along with grant contract amounts, deadlines for applications, and MassDOT contact information should officials have questions. This portal also introduces a public-facing grant award tracker, showcasing all grant awards on a map for greater transparency than ever before. Grant Central revolutionizes grant management for MassDOT and municipalities statewide.???

For more info on Grant Central and all MassDOT municipal grants, please visit:?https://madothway.my.site.com/GrantCentral/s/??

Tags: MassDOT,

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Fenton: Governor's Council Must Deliver for the Berkshires

Community submissionGuest Column
10:22AM / Friday, August 28, 2026

I am a Springfield lawyer running for Governor's Council and I am asking for Berkshire County residents to support me over an incumbent from North Adams.

Here's why: Last year I learned about staffing issues in our regional courts that I could not ignore. In 2025, it was reported that four of Western Massachusetts' 11 Superior Court judgeships were vacant, all at the same time. A few weeks later, that grew to five vacancies. This meant there were only six Superior Court judges serving all of Western Mass at a time when Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin, and Hampden counties had more than 100 pending homicide cases.

Those numbers were alarming to me, so I started to engage with leaders in the community who work most closely with the court system and I came to learn that these vacancies were only the tip of the iceberg here in Berkshire County.

I learned that no Superior Court or District Court judge had been appointed from the Berkshires since the current incumbent took office. As a result, there is not a single Superior Court judge who lives in the Berkshires today, and several of the District Court judges drive in from other counties to support Berkshire courts in Pittsfield, Great Barrington, and North Adams. Court staff also informed me about severe staffing shortages at the Berkshire Clerk of Courts office resulting in other counties needing to loan staff to the Berkshires just so hardworking employees can take a brief and planned summer vacation. This is not normal. These issues are a reflection of genuine problems with the Berkshire County court system and show a lack of proactive attention from our Governor's Councilor.

Instead of focusing on regional equity, I watched as the current incumbent celebrated that she has voted against the governor's nominees more than any other councilor, without much explanation as to why. Most recently, she voted against two extremely qualified former prosecutors for the Parole Board. This was despite an in-person plea from the governor and a letter of support from all the three of the district attorney's from Western Mass. Those votes do not show independence or standing up for principles, they demonstrate naivete, and an unwillingness to work with the key stakeholders.

I had seen and heard enough. I decided to jump in the race and challenge the incumbent to address these problems head-on.

I am a partner of a regional law firm. I understand our courts and the importance of having qualified, fair and hardworking judges. And I know how important it is to have judges from the Berkshires serving the Berkshires. To achieve that, you need strong relationships with the legal community and local stakeholders. You need to know how to use the power of the Governor's Council to fight forcefully for our region. And you need to be laser focused on identifying vacancies before they occur so that they can be filled quickly with local candidates.

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