WESTFIELD, Mass. - Gov. Charlie Baker and Rep. Richard Neal visited the Barnes Air National Guard Base Tuesday for a groundbreaking of a new gate and the ribbon cutting of a new taxiway.
The new gate at the Westfield base will replace one which has been around for the last 70 years. The state invested $4.7 million in the new taxiway, which will expand capabilities at Barnes.
Baker said it’s important to support the installation and make sure it continues to be an asset for the community. Baker also said its location makes Barnes a viable destination for public safety and building relationships with foreign lands.
"When you think about where they already have plans with respect to installations across the country," Baker said. "This spot would serve a really valuable and important role in our relationships with almost everybody to the north and to the east over to Europe and beyond."
The construction for the new gate will begin later this fall and is expected to be completed by next spring.