BOURNE – In a new congressional report, Massachusetts lawmakers said that failure to replace the aging Sagamore and Bourne Bridges would be “catastrophic”.
Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey and Congressman Bill Keating filed the report that compiles input from stakeholders, outlining how crucial the bridges are to the Cape and surrounding region’s economy.
Cape Cod community members, including state officials, town officials, tribal leaders, and community organizations received 36 letters seeking information on how the bridges impact life for residents.
They say the current state of the bridges and ongoing maintenance is hurting businesses by impacting shipment times, staff commutes, and customer access.
“Failure to replace the bridges would be catastrophic. The current condition of the bridges is untenable, and without replacements, problems will only grow,” said the lawmakers in the report.
According to Cape and Islands State Senator Julian Cyr, the current age of the bridges would lead to near-constant repair work in the 2030’s, bringing roadways down to a single lane in each direction on a regular basis.
Gov. Maura Healey recently unveiled plans to replace the Sagamore Bridge with applications currently out for federal funding, though the plan would leave the Bourne Bridge to be replaced at a later date.
Replacing both bridges would require over $4 billion in funds.
Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce CEO Paul Niedzwiecki said that with potentially 6 months to a year of maintenance work looming for the Bourne Bridge in the next few years, the state must address both bridges simultaneously.
The full report can be found here.
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