Sagamore Bridge. Mary Ierardi, CapeCod.com
BARNSTABLE – As Cape Cod continues to look at the nearly 90 year old Bourne and Sagamore bridges, which see approximately 36 million vehicle trips per year, the Cape Cod Commission is giving their recommendations on what to do going forward.
Based on the robust analysis from the Army Corps of Engineers, says Steve Tupper, Deputy Director of the Cape Cod Commission, the bridges will continue to degrade in terms of condition if nothing is done.
“It’s clear that replacement is not just the most fiscally responsible option, it’s also the one that is best for our region in the long term. We really need to make sure that we have those viable connections, there’s really no other alternatives,” said Tupper.
The Commission believes it is very important to make sure there are many public transit options for the public, including ferries and rails, but they are not a replacement for the bridges and the connections they provide to the Cape Cod community.
Tupper says that the Commission understands that there will be a large price tag that comes with the replacement of the bridges, and they plan to be involved in all conversations to come.
“Some of the details on how, and what, and what it looks like are still to be worked out, but it is certainly important to keep the long-term vision in mind that we really need the replacements so we have those reliable connections,” Tupper said.
He went on to say that the reality of the situation is that more and more maintenance work will need to be done consistently to the aging pieces of infrastructure, that were not designed for the volumes they’re handling today, as deterioration continues to increase every year.
For the full video interview with Tupper, click here.
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