SECTION 1. Chapter 6C of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 80. Project delivery timelines; expedited construction requirements

(a) Notwithstanding any general or special law, regulation, or policy to the contrary, the department shall commence construction on transportation infrastructure projects within 7 days of the completion of the traffic study or evaluation and subsequent bid process. Such projects shall not be deferred to future phases of the Capital Investment Plan or delayed for inclusion in the department's master plan unless a delay is deemed necessary due to safety concerns or the unavailability of funding.

(b) The department shall establish and implement clear project delivery timelines to ensure that projects progress from planning to construction without undue delay. The department shall provide annual progress reports to the Joint Committee on Transportation, with immediate updates if a project experiences delays exceeding 90 days.

(c) Exceptions to the immediate commencement of construction may only be granted upon written justification submitted to and approved by the Secretary, detailing the specific circumstances necessitating a delay and the measures being taken to mitigate such delay.

SECTION 2. The department shall adopt any necessary regulations to implement this act within 90 days of its passage.