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18 Mass. highway plazas are being rebuilt. Here’s what to know
The project would deliver the greatest changes the Massachusetts Turnpike plazas have seen since the highway was built in the mid-1950s.
A prominent Irish convenience store company has been tapped to rebuild and operate 18 Massachusetts highway service plazas as part of a $750 million improvement project.
On Wednesday, the MassDOT board’s Capital Programs Committee approved a staff recommendation to grant a 35-year lease to Applegreen to redo the service plazas —11 of which are along the Massachusetts Turnpike, according to a Boston Globe report. The board is expected to consider the lease for approval on June 18.
The Dublin-based company specializes in roadside retail, including gas stations, convenience stores, and fast food eateries across Ireland, the U.K., and, since 2014, the U.S.
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If the project moves forward, Applegreen would replace buildings at nine plazas and make significant upgrades to the other nine, the Globe reported. Under the plan, the company would share an average of $28.4 million in annual revenue with the state, or nearly $1 billion over the course of the lease.
MassDOT said the project would also improve traffic flow at service stops and would ease tensions between truckers and motorists by adding nearly 500 new spaces across the rest areas, representing a 24 percent increase.
“[Applegreen has] demonstrated real-world experience in turning over these facilities and state-of-the-art revitalization programs,” MassDOT Chief Development Officer Scott Bosworth told the Globe. “We feel we’ve got a strong partner, we’re excited about this partnership [and] we’re on the cusp of beginning a new day for our service plazas in Massachusetts.”
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If approved, the lease would take effect in January 2026 for 14 of the plazas, including 11 on the turnpike and locations in Plymouth, Newton, and Lexington, according to the report. The remaining four plazas, located in Beverly, Bridgewater, and Barnstable, would move to Applegreen’s control in June of 2027.
“We’re proud of our proposal, and hope to have the opportunity to work with the state and MassDOT to improve the travel experiences of drivers across Massachusetts,” an Applegreen spokesperson told the Globe.
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