Gov. Maura Healey joined dozens of Ironworkers Local 7 members at the Union Hall on Thursday to announce $472.3 million in federal funding for a major project to replace and expand the MBTA’s North Station Draw One Bridge, which connects Boston and Cambridge over the Charles River.

Healey’s office says the project on the heavily traveled bridge is expected to create approximately 15,600 jobs and support 11 million annual passenger trips. The governor has signed a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) to support construction of the new bridge, which her office says “will help ensure the project is completed safely, on time and on budget.”

“We were able to secure federal funds, a half-billion dollars in funding, to repair and rebuild Draw One. Now, that’s the most dollars ever going into a single MBTA project. It’s $1.2 billion and it’s over 15,000 great jobs,” Healey said to a room full of union workers who roared in applause.

“Today is about 80% of these fair jobs are for Massachusetts residents. Here’s the news. The team has reached an agreement with Greater Boston Building Trades to have a project labor agreement on North Station Draw One. $1.2 billion, one of the biggest PLAs ever. And we’re going to get after it right away,” she said.

Healey’s office says the PLA establishes consistent wages and safety standards for contractors and subcontractors.

The project is expected to expand the number of tracks crossing the river from four to six and increase capacity at North Station to 12 total tracks in an effort to reduce congestion for commuter rail and intercity trains entering and leaving Boston.

“We are proud of the jobs that work like this will create and support,” said Interim Transportation Secretary and MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng. “This Project Labor Agreement is invaluable to the successful delivery of Draw One. It provides labor stability, harmony, and predictability for this highly complex, multi-year construction effort, which will replace two movable bridges dating back to 1931 while ensuring the MBTA can maintain active rail operations and service for the public.”

President of the Massachusetts Building Trades Council Frank Callahan also applauded the PLA, saying the public agreements are the “most effective way” to provide career opportunities in construction to women, people of color, and veterans.

“PLA’s guarantee safe working conditions, fair wages, good health insurance, and a secure retirement for workers. Every man and woman who labors in the construction industry deserves that. Time and time again PLA’s have been shown to be the most effective way to provide career opportunities in construction to women, people of color, and veterans,” said Callahan.

Healey also used the opportunity to take a veiled shot at President Trump and his economic policies, namely his international tariffs.

“There’s a lot going on. We’ve got tariffs, we’ve got a whole bunch of things, raising the cost of construction, inflation and things happening that haven’t been working in our favor. But the good news is, we’ve finally recovered through all of that. And you guys are the force that makes that happen,” Healey told the crowd of union workers. “We want to find ways to work with you, to support you, because we know that through high-skilled union jobs and the work that you do, we’re going to get a better product.”

Healey’s office says “through innovative design-build strategies,” the construction timeline for the project has been shortened from eight years to about 6.5 years. The project is currently in procurement, and contractor selection is pending.