Sagamore Bridge. Mary Ierardi, CapeCod.com
HYANNIS – Barnstable County officials are examining the direct economic impacts of long-term canal bridge closures as the two spans continue to age amid stalled replacement efforts.
The Cape Cod Commission says that recent 53-day maintenance completed on the Sagamore Bridge in Spring 2023 resulted in a major disruption to commuting flow, causing an estimated $10 million in direct travel time delay costs.
The 46-day Bourne project in the Fall caused what they say were significant and unpredictable disruption to regional travel, with an estimated $4 million in direct travel time delay costs. The Commission added that long-term closures could result in billions of dollars in travel time delay costs.
“We are asking the federal government for billions of dollars,” said Commission Deputy Director Steven Tupper in a statement.
“Making the case on the national scale is where this becomes really important. We will be competing against big national bridges like the Golden Gate Bridge, and we need them to understand that there is a level of importance here to our region, and being able to put the data behind it is paramount to what we are thinking about here.”
They said that these figures will be vital in getting federal funding for the bridges, with the required amount expected to be over 4 billion dollars.
Due to the expense, the bridges are competing with other major infrastructure projects across the country.
UPDATE 1/16/2024: The previous version of this story said officials have released a study examining the economic impacts. Officials with the Cape Cod Commission emphasize that the study is ongoing, with consultant Eastern Research Group, Inc (ERG) contracted to conduct an economic analysis to better understand the impact a long-term bridge shutdown would have on the region’s economy.
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