BOURNE – When the time comes to begin replacing the bridges spanning across the Cape Cod Canal, selectmen in Bourne are looking to ensure that the town has a say in the matter.
At a recent meeting, many board members stressed their need to make sure the town’s collective voice is heard by the state and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
“All the traffic, everything that’s associated with the project will impact our town; it won’t necessarily impact other towns,” Selectman James Potter explained.
Potter added that this project could lead to further discussions on how to reconnect the town through Bourne-specific lanes on the bridges, as residents now have to essentially navigate through a highway to get to the other side of town.
Chair Judith Froman suggested drafting a letter signed by all board members reinforcing the belief that Bourne has to be represented in the process wherever possible.
“It’s not like we’d like to be at the table, we need to be at the table,” Froman said.
“It’s not an option not to be at the table.”
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers signed a memorandum of understanding last month formally confirming the plans to replace the Cape Cod Canal bridges.
Following the completion of the project, which is currently slated to begin in 2025 at the earliest, ownership of the bridges will be transferred from the Army Corps to the state.
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