The Biden Administration recently allocated $372 million to replace one of two 80-year-old Cape Cod bridges. The Sagamore Bridge is among 37 major transportation projects nationwide that will share a nearly $5 billion infrastructure investment.
Tearing down the existing bridges and building new ones is estimated to cost about $4 billion - and it's been a years-long process to figure out who will pay for it.
Last year, the federal government denied a request from the state to cover nearly half the cost of replacing the bridges, which are currently operated by the Army Corps of Engineers.
Original construction of the bridges began in 1933. The Corps said in 2020 that the Sagamore and Bourne should be replaced "with two new bridges built to modern day standards", according to CBS News. When the new bridges are complete, ownership would transfer to MassDOT.
Gov. Maura Healey said last summer that the state would focus first on securing money to replace the Sagamore before getting to the Bourne, according to CBS News. Traffic backs up for miles around the bridges during the busy summer travel season, and the narrow lanes do not meet current highway standards.
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Source: CBS News
