Friday’s announcement of a $993 million dollar grant to replace the Sagamore Bridge is a major milestone. The Sagamore replacement is really happening. This federal Bridge Investment Program (BIP) award brings the total amount of federal funding for the project to nearly $1.72 billion, plus the $700 million in state funding pledged by Governor Maura Healey’s administration.
After more than a decade of meetings and conversations about the condition, maintenance, and lifespan of the nearly 90-year-old Sagamore and Bourne Bridges, the real work of replacing them can finally begin – and not a moment too soon..
Together, the Sagamore and Bourne Bridges function as a critical transportation system, providing Cape Cod’s only vehicle access points for 230,000 year-round residents, more than 8,500 businesses, and over 5 million annual visitors. Originally the Cape Cod Canal bridges were designed to accommodate 1 million trips per year. They now handle 38 million trips annually, roughly the same as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
Both bridges are reaching the end of their serviceable lifespan and are considered functionally obsolete and structurally deficient. Those who have made the white-knuckle drive along the bridges’ antiquated, too-narrow lanes know this all too well. Increasingly frequent bridge maintenance is already a reality for Cape and Islands residents, along with the lane closures and traffic backups that accompany it. Unless they are replaced, the bridges will soon require major rehabilitation work, leading to months-long lane restrictions and bridge closures of up to 6 months. The complete closure of either bridge would cause unprecedented and catastrophic disruptions to the regional economy.
Earlier this year the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce formed the Cape & Islands Bridges Coalition (CIBC) in response to business and community concerns about the aging Cape Cod Bridges. The CIBC and the Cape Cod Chamber commend Senators Markey and Warren, Congressman Keating, and the Healey-Driscoll Administration for their leadership, persistence, and partnership in securing these critical funds for replacing the bridges.
It is not an accident that federal, state, and regional players - along with the CIBC’s 40+ business and community representatives - are in universal agreement that the Sagamore and Bourne must be replaced, urgently. Major efforts like these are built incrementally, over time. Cape Cod owes former Cape Cod Chamber CEO, Wendy Northcross, a debt of gratitude for being one of the first community leaders to recognize the importance of replacing both bridges. Wendy’s guidance was invaluable in helping the bridges replacement effort get to where it is today.
The replacement of the Canal bridges is an existential imperative for Cape Cod. This funding makes replacement of the Sagamore a reality and demonstrates the commitment of our federal and state partners in ensuring that Cape and Islands communities remain economically viable for years to come.