Rebuilding the Cape Cod Canal Bridges

Cape Cod roadways are connected to the rest of Massachusetts by way of two bridges across the Cape Cod Canal. The current Bourne and Sagamore bridges were built by the US Army Corps of Engineers in 1935 – almost 90 years ago. Since then, these aging bridges have become increasingly obsolete to carry the quantity and nature of traffic that frequents our roadways in the current day. The answer is clear: we need new bridges.

Throughout my time as State Representative I have prided myself in collaborating with federal, state, and local stakeholders as we work together to develop a plan to replace these bridges. My priorities have always been that we need new bridges, not just repairs. We need these new bridges to be safe and effective for those who use them, preferably with multi-modal features. They need to be built with proper respect for the communities and abutting land through which they pass. And, their construction needs to be funded by the federal government so that the cost does not fall on Massachusetts residents or motorists – no new taxes and no new tolls to pay for the new bridges.

This past year the design phase of the bridge project moved forward and an impressive new design appears to have been settled on. Most importantly, in July the federal government committed $1 billion of funding for the project, which follows an additional commitment of $700 million by the state. It is hoped that this funding will allow construction of a new Sagamore Bridge to proceed alongside the existing bridge sometime in the near future. Our state also is pursuing additional federal funding to keep the Bourne Bridge replacement project moving on a similar schedule. These bridges – both of which are located within the 5th Barnstable District – are critical infrastructure for people who live, work, and vacation on Cape Cod and they serve a vital role in our economy. I want to see them rebuilt as intelligently, quickly, and affordably as possible, and I will continue using the power of my office to help achieve that goal.