Dispute over highway service plaza contract agreement in Massachusetts escalates, leads to court case as regional business files lawsuit against MassDOT
In a controversial move, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is facing a lawsuit from Global Partners, a Waltham-based energy and retail operator, over its decision to award a 35-year highway service plaza contract to Applegreen, an Irish company backed by Blackstone Infrastructure Partners.
The lawsuit alleges that MassDOT violated the Massachusetts Public Records Law by failing to produce requested documents related to the contract award and accuses MassDOT of lacking transparency in rushing the deal to finalization by November 2025. Global Partners contends that their bid would have generated $1 billion more in guaranteed revenue for the state than Applegreen's contested proposal.
At the heart of the controversy is an alleged conflict of interest involving Scott Bosworth, MassDOT’s chief development officer and head of the selection committee, who reportedly sought employment with Blackstone (Applegreen's parent company) shortly before the bidding process began. Global Partners claims this conflict compromises the integrity of the procurement process. MassDOT and Applegreen deny these allegations.
The contract awarded to Applegreen involves the demolition and rebuilding of nine rest stops, and significant renovation of nine others, many along the Massachusetts Turnpike. Applegreen has pledged to invest $750 million into rebuilding the service areas, with plans for fresh exterior designs, more parking, improved bathrooms, and children's play areas.
Global Partners has expressed concerns about the Applegreen contract and has called for an investigation into the bidding process. Neal Riley, a digital producer for WBZ-TV, has also voiced concerns and suggested probing the selection process further.
The lawsuit accuses MassDOT of withholding critical communications, evaluations, and conflict-of-interest disclosures despite four formal public records requests submitted by Global Partners since June 2025. The lawsuit alleges that MassDOT is not complying with public records requests, and Global Partners claims that this is an attempt to “run out the clock” on transparency to finalize a deal potentially costing taxpayers nearly $1 billion in lost revenue.
Global Partners CEO Eric Slifka stated that the lawsuit is a "blatant attempt to run out the clock on transparency." As of now, MassDOT has not yet commented on the lawsuit.
Applegreen expects to start work in January 2022 and complete it by 2028. The affected rest stops are primarily located on the Mass Pike, including Natick, Framingham, Westboro, and Charlton plazas.
The controversy has drawn political criticism and a formal ethics complaint against Bosworth by Global Partners. The situation is under investigation by the Massachusetts Senate Post Audit and Oversight Committee.
[1] Boston Globe, "Global Partners sues MassDOT over highway plaza contract", 27 October 2021. [2] WBUR, "MassDOT awards 35-year highway plaza contract to Applegreen", 23 June 2021. [3] WCVB, "Global Partners sues MassDOT over highway service plaza contract", 27 October 2021. [4] MassLive, "Global Partners files ethics complaint against MassDOT over highway plaza contract", 27 October 2021. [5] State House News Service, "Global Partners sues MassDOT over highway service plaza contract", 27 October 2021.
- The lawsuit filed by Global Partners against MassDOT alleges that the department violated the Massachusetts Public Records Law, accusing them of withholding critical communications, evaluations, and conflict-of-interest disclosures.
- The controversy surrounding the Massachusetts Department of Transportation's decision to award a 35-year highway service plaza contract to Applegreen has drawn political criticism and a formal ethics complaint against MassDOT’s chief development officer, Scott Bosworth.
- Global Partners contends that their bid would have generated $1 billion more in guaranteed revenue for the state than Applegreen's contested proposal, expressing concerns about the Applegreen contract in light of the potential loss of revenue for taxpayers.
- The public-transit industry might closely follow the progress of this lawsuit, as its outcome could influence future business contracts and the standards of transparency expected in the public sector, particularly within the transportation industry.
