The Community Culvert Grant Program

The Community Culvert Grant Program, administered by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), provides targeted funding to municipalities and tribal governments for the modernization, repair, removal, and increased resiliency of culverts. The program began in 2025 and supports critical infrastructure upgrades to improve transportation systems, ecological health, and climate resilience across the Commonwealth. To be eligible, culverts must be on a local public way with an existing span of 10 feet or less. Funding is allocated through phased grants: Phase 1 covers design and permitting, while Phase 2 supports construction costs. Phase 1 grants typically fund the full cost of design and permitting through a MassDOT-selected prequalified consultant, though municipalities may opt to use their own prequalified firm and receive up to $150,000 in reimbursable funding. Eligible design activities include permitting, bid preparation, and ensuring compliance with MassDOT’s engineering standards. Phase 2 grants fund construction up to $1,000,000 and may include utility relocation, engineering oversight, and contingencies. Additional construction funds may be considered for municipalities demonstrating financial need, subject to funding availability. Eligible activities under the program include replacement, repair, or removal of culverts, as well as improvements that enhance climate resilience, such as expanding hydraulic capacity, erosion mitigation, and compliance with Massachusetts Stream Crossing Standards. The program emphasizes ecological restoration and supports projects that improve fish and wildlife passage, watershed health, and the integrity of transportation systems. The grant program explicitly excludes funding for culverts over coastal tidal waterways, non-public roads, legal or insurance costs, administrative expenses, police details, or any work completed prior to agreement execution. Evaluation criteria prioritize technical need, community impact, ecological restoration, resilience planning, and transportation relevance. Strong consideration is given to projects that support underserved or rural communities, demonstrate financial efficiency, and have clear local support. Applications for the FY26 grant round open on November 6, 2025, and close on January 9, 2026. Municipalities may submit one application per phase during this cycle via the Fully Integrated Application on Grant Central. Award notifications are expected in Winter 2026, with notices to proceed issued in time for the upcoming construction season. Reimbursement is handled through Grant Central, overseen by a State Aid Engineer assigned to each MassDOT District. Contact for the program is available via CulvertGrantProgram@dot.state.ma.us.

Strong community support, cost-efficiency, resilience and ecological benefits all improve competitiveness; design firms must be MassDOT-prequalified