Patrick to approve $1.47b for projects

Governor Deval Patrick said yesterday he plans to sign a $1.47 billion emergency borrowing package that includes money for vital road and bridge repairs, a new psychiatric hospital in Central Massachusetts, four long-awaited transit projects, and the beleaguered state medical examiner's office.

The governor and legislative leaders introduced the emergency borrowing package last week, citing the need to quickly fund and repair crumbling roads, bridges, and state buildings, while trying to avoid losing nearly $1 billion in federal matching grants.

"The swift passage of this bond bill not only moves critical projects forward but will save the Commonwealth money by preventing costly delays," Patrick said in a statement. "These initiatives will spur economic growth, create jobs, enhance our state's infrastructure, and improve government services."

Big-ticket items in the bill, passed by both the House and Senate yesterday, include a $250 million state psychiatric hospital in Worcester that will replace facilities in Worcester and Westborough that are in disrepair.

The package also includes $100 million to begin designing four legally mandated transit projects meant to offset air pollution from the Big Dig: the MBTA Green Line extension to Medford and Union Square in Somerville; 1,000 additional parking spaces at commuter rail stops; new stations and improved service along the Fairmount commuter rail line; and the design of a connector between the Red and Blue subway lines.

"The state has talked about its commitment to the Green Line for a long time, but talk is cheap," state Representative Carl M. Sciortino Jr. , who represents Somerville and Medford, said in a statement. "Now, instead of hot air, we finally have cold hard cash to make this project a reality."

Quick passage of the bill will also allow cities and towns to find out by April 1 how much money each will receive from the state for road and bridge repair.The $150 million set aside is the largest amount since 1999.

The package also includes a long list of badly needed road and bridge repairs, including money for a bridge in Quincy to ease traffic congestion downtown, reconstruction of Route 9 in Shrewsbury, and a $10.8 million project to widen Route 138 in the business district in Taunton.

The bill also includes $1.2 million to reopen the medical examiner's facility on Cape Cod and about $100,000 to fix the ventilation system at the South End headquarters of the state medical examiner, which came under fire last week for severe overcrowding and mismanagement.

State lawmakers could not agree on a bond bill last year after the House sought $1.2 billion in borrowing, while the Senate wanted only $400 million.

Even with quick approval by lawmakers this time, officials said the bond bill does not mean the projects would be built right away, with many still to be designed or put out to bid.

Mac Daniel can be reached at mdaniel@globe.com.