MassDOT unveils $1B investment for Cape Cod Canal bridge replacements

As a cornerstone of its five-year capital plan, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) will allocate $1.09 billion to reconstruct the Cape Cod bridges in Bourne. The investment will help supplement the project’s total cost of $4.5 billion, with construction expected to begin in 2027.

The 90-year-old bridges slated for replacement – the Sagamore Bridge and the Bourne Bridge – are considered functionally obsolete and unable to meet today’s travel demands, according to state officials. MassDOT determined that rehabilitating and repairing the bridges was unfeasible as maintenance costs have continually increased with each passing year.

The twin-bridge replacements will provide dedicated traffic lanes going in one direction on each bridge to reduce the risk of head-on collisions and accidents heading in opposing directions. The lanes will be wider with left and right shoulders. The project will incorporate updated signs, pavement markings and an auxiliary lane to help vehicles connect to local roadways.

To account for existing gaps and unsafe conditions for non-motorized travelers, the project will address shortcomings affecting pedestrians and bicyclists such as narrow sidewalks, steep inclines, no dedicated bicycle lanes and no separation from vehicles.

Improvements will include incorporating shared-use paths along the bridges for travelers. This will include building a loop trail between the bridges and enhancing connections to local roadways, residences, businesses and other multimodal trails. Each bridge will have barriers separating pedestrians and bicyclists from traffic.

Informed by public feedback, coordinators will continue to update the bridge designs to reflect opinion, preferences and needs. Some design elements that will be considered at upcoming meetings include arch and bridge pier aesthetics, highway lighting, overlook areas, safety provisions and retention of historic artifacts from the existing bridges. The completed brings is expected to have a 100-year lifespan.

Currently, the bridges are owned and operated by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The completed project will transfer ownership to MassDOT.

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