BOURNE – Lane restrictions on the Bourne Bridge are scheduled to go into effect in late-March or early-April, according to the latest update from the Army Corps of Engineers.
Crews will be replacing bridge joints on the span, meaning the bridge will be limited to one lane in each direction for months.
The construction is scheduled to wrap up by Memorial Day.
“This bridge work is critical to maintaining the structural integrity of the bridges, which are a vital component to the transportation system of Cape Cod, the Islands and southeastern Massachusetts,” the Corps said.
“Work will include the replacement of modular bridge joints on the roadway, repair of damaged steel and concrete supports, patching of damaged pavement surfaces, and replacement of deteriorated waterproofing membranes on the roadway curb and sidewalk.”
A similar project took place on the Sagamore Bridge last year and caused significant traffic delays for nearly two months.
The Corps initially planned the repairs on the Bourne for this past fall, but postponed the project at the request of local politicians and business leaders, who said the region would be hurt economically by two major bridge repair projects in one calendar year.
“Some of the local travelers having two construction seasons in one year,” said Corps Spokesman Tim Dugan. “We went back and discussed it with the local folks and agencies and went ahead and pushed the work back.”
The lane restrictions will be in place on a 24/7 basis during the construction period, and officials are predicting more traffic problems in the canal region during the project, especially during the morning and afternoon commute.
The contractor will be working seven days a week in an attempt to expedite the project.
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