CCRTA Weighs in On Proposed Bridge Replacement

Sagamore Bridge

HYANNIS – For more than 84 years, both the Bourne and the Sagamore Bridges have been the way vehicular traffic travels on and off Cape Cod.

With that has also come seasonal traffic nightmares and construction gridlock.

Last week, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced plans to replace both structures over the next few years. Since then, local residents and business leaders have expressed excitement in seeing what’s to come.

“With the wider lanes and safety components incorporated into this plan, I think it will make for a safer, attractive trip down to Cape Cod,” says Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority Manager Tom Cahir.

“It is all good news and I applaud that continue to advocate strongly for this important issue to be addressed.”

Plans for the new structures will include four travel lanes for each bridge and 2 additional auxiliary lanes for acceleration and deceleration, as well as appropriate bike/pedestrian access.

Bourne Bridge over the Cape Cod Canal

But with new construction, comes worries that backups during work might be a problem for an extended period of time.

That’s why Cahir has pitched a potential solution to Massachusetts Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack in an effort to quell delays.

“If the two bridges are going to be worked on and construction is going to disrupt the area in terms of traffic, it is not outside the realm to think of rail service from Hyannis to Buzzards Bay,” says Cahir.

“I am not actually proposing a specific plan, but I have been thinking about that, so who knows,” he adds.

As for now, the Corps and MassDOT have collaborated to ensure Cape Cod residents and visitors have reliable transportation routes to and from Cape Cod during construction.

A recent MassDOT study examined options such as modified and improved highway interchanges and other multi-modal travel options.

Final plans for all bridge work are expected to go before the Corps headquarters in Washington D.C. in February of 2020.

By JOHN BONDAREK, CapeCod.Com News Center