Sagamore Bridge
BOURNE – Funding for the replacements of the Sagamore and Bourne Bridges has been included in the U.S. House of Representatives’ Invest in America Act, 2021’s annual Surface Highway Reauthorization.
According to the office of Congressman Bill Keating (MA-9), the entire legislation invests more than $547 billion in the nation’s transport infrastructure, including large projects like the bridges.
The Projects of National and Regional Significance portion of the bill designates $12 billion for programs handling large infrastructure projects that can’t be completed without federal support.
$4 billion of that is set aside specifically for bridges such as the Bourne and Sagamore, said Keating.
“The most pressing issue for the bridges is where would the federal funding come from,” said Keating in a statement.
“The Invest in America Act solves this issue head on. If the replacement of the Cape Bridges is handled under the projects of national and regional significance, it will be afforded a constant funding stream without the need for yearly appropriations. It is a huge win for Southeastern Massachusetts that my language making the Cape Bridges eligible for this funding was included in the bill.”
Keating said that he will work with Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren to ensure that the language preserving the funding remains in the Senate version of the legislation.
The total costs of the bridge replacements is expected to be $2.2 billion in total.
$1.2 billion will be necessary for the bridges themselves, with another $1 billion to rebuild connecting state highways.
About Grady Culhane
