MassDOT, Applegreen Plan $750M Service Plaza Overhaul, 750 Jobs

Massachusetts is embarking on a $750 million project to modernize 18 highway service plazas, primarily along the Massachusetts Turnpike, with construction starting early next year. Ireland-based Applegreen will lead the project under a 35-year lease, rebuilding nine plazas and renovating nine others with designs tailored to metro, coastal, or western locations. The initiative is expected to create approximately 750 construction jobs and an additional 1,500 operational positions, with all current service plaza employees being offered jobs by Applegreen. To support local businesses, Applegreen has partnered with Chicopee-based Rachael's Food Corp to supply sandwiches for all Massachusetts plazas and their entire U.S. travel plaza operations, emphasizing locally sourced ingredients. Suffolk Construction, a Massachusetts-based firm, will manage the construction work, highlighting the project's commitment to community economic support. Officials highlight this effort as a long-overdue infrastructure upgrade that will enhance traveler amenities and invigorate the state’s workforce.