The Overview

If you drive through the Cambridge Road, South Bedford Street, and Bedford Road intersection in Woburn or Burlington, a reconstruction project there now has the legal path it needs. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (D) signed House Bill 5616 into law on Aug. 6. ​

The project had already been delayed, with construction previously expected to begin in 2026, according to WCVB. The bill's preamble declares it an emergency law needed for the immediate preservation of public convenience.

What the Law Does

The law authorizes the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) to take land in Woburn and Burlington that the City of Boston holds in trust for the Mary P. C. Cummings Testamentary Trust: 4,603 square feet of temporary construction area and 8,917 square feet of permanent easements. Both parcels are shown on a May 27, 2026 plan and support the intersection improvement project at Cambridge Road, South Bedford Street, and Bedford Road.

As mitigation for the takings, the Town of Burlington required, as a condition of a 2025 special permit for Jumbo Self Storage, LLC, that land be set aside for future intersection improvements; Burlington also accepted a conservation restriction on about nine acres of Wheeler Road property. MassDOT must cover all costs of engineering, surveys, appraisals, deed preparation, and other expenses tied to the takings. Rep. Richard M. Haggerty, a bill cosponsor, said the easements would allow MassDOT to rebuild and widen the intersection to improve safety, traffic flow, and access for pedestrians, cyclists, and bus riders.

Legislative Status

The House Committee on Ways and Means sponsored the bill. Cosponsors were Rep. Rich Haggerty (D), Rep. Ken Gordon (D), and Rep. Michelle Ciccolo (D).

Both chambers passed the bill unanimously on July 30, 158 to 0 in the House and 39 to 0 in the Senate.

Rep. Richard M. Haggerty, a cosponsor of the bill, said in a news release that the easements would let MassDOT rebuild and widen the intersection to improve safety, traffic flow, and access for pedestrians, cyclists, and bus riders. He said the easements would let MassDOT rebuild and widen the intersection to improve safety, traffic flow and access for pedestrians, cyclists and bus riders.

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