State and feds submit application to fund replacement of Bourne, Sagamore bridges

The state and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have applied for $1 billion in federal funding to replace the aging Bourne and Sagamore bridges. 

The application is through the first round of the Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant Opportunity, a $2.9 billion grant made possible through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, according to a Massachusetts Department of Transportation press release.  

“All systems are a go, things are looking to be moving on pace, and we anticipate it will continue to do that,” said U.S. Rep.William Keating.  

An 'untenable position'

Two years ago, MassDOT and theCorps of Engineers signed a memorandum of understanding saying they would work together to replace the bridges. 

A historical view:Sagamore, Bourne bridges have brought prosperity, loyalty and now worries to Cape Cod

A representative of Keating’s office said MassDOT and the Army Corps would continue to seekother opportunities for federal funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The law authorized the U.S. Department of Transportation to fund $110 billion worth of grant programs over the next five years, according to the release. That also includes the $12.5 billion Bridge Investment Program.  

In March, Cape Cod Commission Deputy Director of Transportation Steven Tupper told the Times that if funding for the replacement bridges isn't received, the Cape would be put in an “untenable position.” 

However, Keating expressed confidence in the joint application.  

“I have no anticipation whatsoever that the application will be rejected,” said Keating. 

He did, however, say there has been some discussion lately about how inflation may affect the project's overall price. In 2019, the project to demolish and replace the bridges was expected to cost $1.4 billion to $1.65 billion. It has since risen to around $4 billion.

Cost estimate will continue to change

In an email to the Times, Bryan Purtell, Corps public affairs officer,  said the cost estimate would continue to be refined based on “...current inflation, supply chain, fuel, and other cost increase impacts associated with a worldwide pandemic that were not predicted in the original 2020 cost estimate.” 

According to the joint application, the bridges are nearly 90 years old, functionally obsolete, and fail to support the traveling public. Replacing them would bolster the Cape’s economy, ease traffic problems es and high crash rates, and accommodate multimodal travel, according to the application.