BOURNE – Two amendments from Congressman Bill Keating have been added to the “Invest in America Act,” and will aim to provide funding for the replacement of the Cape Cod Canal bridges.
One amendment called for bridges to be included in the “Projects of National and Regional Significance” grant program alongside highways.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the owner of both the Bourne Bridge and the Sagamore Bridge, will be able to request funding through that program if the act is adopted through Keating’s other amendment.
More than $9 billion in infrastructure improvements that cannot be completed through regular allocations would be provided through the act for five years after being passed.
“The purpose for that is for the big projects,” Keating said.
“It’s there to make sure that multi-year funding is there, it’s really something we need going forward.”
If adopted, Keating said this act would make it accessible to secure federal funding for the “vital” bridge replacement project.
“The good news to share is that among the whole congressional delegation in the state,” he continued, “there’s consensus that of all the state projects, this is the most important and receives great priority.”
Last week, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and the Army Corps reached a memorandum of understanding to move forward with replacing the spans. MassDOT will be given ownership of the bridges after the project is completed.
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