Wyeth to add jobs in exchange for onramp
Wyeth, the pharmaceutical titan, has promised to add at least 100 jobs at its Andover biotech research center in exchange for nearby traffic improvements, according to Wyeth and government officials.
Governor Deval L. Patrick is scheduled to unveil the deal Monday morning at Wyeth's research facility in Andover.
"It's fantastic," said Andover Selectman Alex Vispoli. "It's something that is good for Wyeth and the town of Andover."
Wyeth and the town had been seeking $15 million from the state to fund a number of improvements, including a new northbound onramp for Interstate 93. In return, Wyeth pledged to create 100 jobs at the site. Andover's planning director, Paul Materazzo, confirmed the state has approved funding for the project, but said he wasn't sure of the precise dollar amount.
Both Materazzo and Vispoli, however, said the traffic improvements are just a small piece of a broader I-93 interchange project that could free up land for development and eventually pave the way for thousands of jobs in the area. Andover has been working with the towns of Tewksbury and Wilmington on planning for the project for more than a year.
Wyeth, which has its headquarters in New Jersey, already has nearly 1,900 employees at its Andover campus and more than 700 in Cambridge, making it one of the state's biggest life sciences employers. Wyeth said its Andover campus is one of the "largest biopharmaceutical operations in the United States."
"We're very excited about the project moving forward and very appreciative of the governor's support," said Wyeth spokesman James Callahan.
Monday's event at Wyeth also gives Patrick another venue to promote his $1 billion legislative proposal to expand life sciences research. On Tuesday, he touted the bill at an event to mark Genzyme Corp.'s plans to expand its Boston biotech-drug manufacturing plant.
Another biotech company, Sepracor Inc., said earlier this week that it plans to build a 150,000-square-foot building next to its headquarters in Marlborough.
Todd Wallack can be reached at twallack@globe.com. 