In 2025, travel plaza operator Applegreen withdrew from plans to redevelop service areas across Massachusetts. Months later, a state watchdog says the road MassDOT took to picking Applegreen had more than just bumps on it.
Back in September, the company responsible for highway service stops throughout the country, including the New York State Thruway, walked away from $750 million plans to renovate or rebuild 18 plazas in Massachusetts.
According to the Office of the Inspector General, the move capped off an issue-riddled procurement process it says the state Department of Transportation ought to learn from going forward.
In a recent letter to interim MassDOT Secretary Phil Eng, the IG's office described problems ranging from bid evaluation issues to the selection committee chair being in regular contact with Applegreen officials or affiliates.
The IG’s office noted that while the chair, Scott Bosworth, did not appear to touch on the procurement process in any of the communications it reviewed, the contact between him and Applegreen officials "created the appearance of a conflict of interest."
It was something rival bidder Global Partners seized upon as it protested MassDOT selecting Applegreen last year.
Officials with the Waltham-based company singled out Bosworth and his communications when it took legal action, alleging Applegreen's selection for the state's 35-year lease was flawed.
