Expect delays: Sagamore Bridge drops by two lanes
Brace yourselves for a bit, Cape residents and visitors: Traffic around the Sagamore Bridge is expected to be slower for weeks ahead of the summer influx.
The Sagamore Bridge lane closures started on Monday due to “critical maintenance work,” according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New England District.
The usual two lanes in each direction have been cut to a single 12-foot lane in each direction, as workers make repairs to structural steel supports and the bridge lighting system.
Lane restrictions are in place for 24 hours a day until the project is completed. The repair work and lane restrictions are scheduled to end before Memorial Day weekend.
“Motorists planning to use the Sagamore Bridge during this timeframe should be aware that travel delays are likely to occur during the morning and afternoon peak travel periods each day,” the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New England District said in a statement.
“This bridge work is critical to maintaining the structural integrity of the bridges, which are a vital component to the transportation system of Cape Cod, the Islands and southeastern Massachusetts,” the Corps added. “Work will include steel repairs to base structures of light posts, installation of repaired light posts, repairs to the bridge fence and light brackets, and replacement of conduits, cables and light fixtures.”
All traffic lanes on the Bourne Bridge will remain open while work is occurring on the Sagamore
Bridge.
The Corps’ plan is for the contractor to work on the Bourne Bridge in the fall. The specific maintenance project details and planned work dates are still being coordinated.
A long-awaited plan to tear down and replace the 85-year-old bridges moved one step closer last year. The state signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — a deal years in the making to transfer control of the bridges to the state.
The Corps will retain ownership and management of the bridges for the duration of the construction and demolition project. The federal government plans to pick up the tab, which the Corps previously estimated could range between $1.45 billion and $1.6 billion.
The Corps has said the new bridges would each have six lanes: four travel lanes and two additional auxiliary lanes for acceleration and deceleration. They would also include appropriate access for bicyclists and pedestrians.