Governor Speaks in Town About New Projects, Bridge Over Ipswich River [VIDEO]

Governor Deval Patrick and Transportation Secretary Richard Davey spoke briefly at Town Hall Thursday morning regarding the governor's newest budget and plan the administration has put out to solve traffic issues.  

Town Administrator Greg Balukonis kicked off the speeches by welcoming Patrick and Davey and thanked the governor for his "intelligence, conviction and wisdom in leading the Commonwealth."

Davey spoke about how the projects the administration plans to put out will help residents of North Reading and the region.

All 351 cities and towns in the state will see improvements under the governor's budget, he said.

"So whether it's Chapter 90 dollars that can come to North Reading to make road improvements, crosswalk improvements things that the administrator and selectmen have been asking for for so long, whether it's 2 million dollars under our program for a bridge right here in North Reading that you can't get done because you don't have enough resources to do it, our plan will deliver that," Davey said.

One of their biggest projects will fix the traffic problem where 93 and 95 intersect in Woburn, he said. According to Davey, about 375,000 cars travel through that intersection everyday and the project will save people who drive in that area 320,000 hours a year.

Patrick mentioned that there are many unmet needs in North Reading, the region and the Commonwealth and what the state needs is a "21st century transportation network."

The governor said that the commonwealth needs to become economically strong in future, and he has proposed new revenue in the budget to build a "better and stronger tomorrow."

According to Patrick, the Commonwealth must pay the bills inherited; repair aging roads, rails and bridges; and make "targeted expansions to unlock long term economic development all across the state."

What does that mean to residents in this state?

"It means taking the busiest interchange in the whole of the Commonwealth, I93 and I95 connection and reconstructing it to make it simpler, safer and more efficient and giving you back time," Patrick said. "It means rehabilitating the Main Street bridge over the Ipswich River, here in North Reading. It means adding an additional 100 million dollars to the annual Chapter 90 formula for cities and towns to develop a more robust plan for repairing and rebuilding our own roads and bridges. And it's not really a breakout idea. It's a very old fashioned idea about paying what we need to pay, all of us, to lift our entire community and make the Commonwealth stronger."

He spoke about having the highway and subway system we have today because our grandparents decided to make modest sacrifices. According to Patrick, we need to have the same vision for a "better tomorrow."

Take a look at the video attached to see part of the governor's speech.