What's up with Cape Cod bridges this summer? A guide for visitors, returning part-timers

Part-time residents and returning visitors looking forward to another summer of beach, sun and relaxation on the Cape and Islands will likely find the region in a similar condition to how they left it. But despite few changes, there have been some traffic infrastructure updates worth noting for snowbirds and sunbathers alike.

On the forefront of everyone’s mind looms the replacement of the Bourne and Sagamore bridges, a project that’s seen its fair share of setbacks and hiccups. But with a grant application of over $1 billion set to be announced in the near future and a lump sum of money already secured, the project appears to be gaining momentum.

A couple other notable infrastructure projects worth mentioning include an update of the Bourne Rotary and a significant amount of maintenance on the Bass River Bridge in South Yarmouth — with a proposed $40 million replacement project likely on the horizon as well.

Bourne Rotary

With traffic patterns and volumes on both Cape Cod Canal bridges likely on everyone’s mind, a point of focus headed into the summer months for transportation officials has been an update for the Bourne Rotary. The rotary is just south of the Bourne Bridge.

Shaun Handy, assistant project development engineer for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation District 5, said lanes have been painted and new entry and exit lane barriers have been constructed in order to better direct traffic and maintain safety.

“Everybody knows that the canal bridge project is coming,” Handy said. “The idea was, what can we do as an interim project in the meantime that might alleviate some of the current traffic problems that we’ve experienced.”

Congestion will still pose a problem to the rotary, Handy said, as all roundabouts and rotaries of any design “don’t behave well under extremely high volumes.”

The nearly $2 million upgrade now has the interior lanes separated from the outer lanes, each delineating a certain exit point not previously specified in the rotary’s previous form. Handy said it will likely take drivers a time or two in order to adjust, but ultimately it is the safer and more efficient alternative.

Cape Cod Canal Bridges

In terms of the two bridges over the canal, officials involved in the project say funding for the first phase could be secured as soon as late spring or early summer.

Bryan Cordeiro, the state transportation project manager for the Cape Cod bridges project, said an exact timeline for the funding award is “tricky to nail down,” but an early-summer time frame is what he’s sticking with.

The project will take place in two phases, the first of which includes designing and securing funding for the replacement of the Sagamore Bridge — as it sees a higher volume of traffic. Phase 2 will focus on the funding, design and replacement of the Bourne Bridge.

Cordeiro said a grant application for the Bourne Bridge was filed on May 6. He said he could not provide details on the amount applied for.

“In terms of the Bourne, what we have been saying is that it would be staggered by a year, meaning construction would commence a year later than the Sagamore’s construction,” Cordeiro said. “And that's pending our ability to acquire funding.”

In short, summertime commuters should not expect any changes to the bridges themselves, as well as very little in terms of the traffic volume or commute.

Bass River Bridge

The bridge of the Bass River has served as a vital transportation link on Cape Cod for nearly 90 years, connecting West Dennis and South Yarmouth along Route 28. But in November 2021, the bridge was classified as structurally deficient and considered in poor condition by the Federal Highway Administration.

In response, the state transportation agency has been performing maintenance on the bridge. Work began in January and is set to finish in May, with a $40 million project to completely replace it scheduled for bidding this year, officials said.

Work included maintenance on the underside concrete slabs, the pilings and the deck, extensively reinforcing the bridge until the time comes when construction can commence on the total replacement.

Walker Armstrong reports on all things Cape and Islands, primarily focusing on courts, transportation and the Joint Base Cape Cod military base. Contact him at WArmstrong@capecodonline.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jd__walker.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Headed to the Cape? Wondering about the bridges? Here's a guide.