Building Bridges

The first four property owners to have their land, home, or business taken for the new Sagamore Bridge will see their deeds transferred to the state in just a few weeks’ time.

Officials from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation will discuss the content of the recently filed Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

One recognizes a hometown winner of the Pulitzer Prize. Another welcomes all to the Cape, on behalf of local 4-H clubs. A collection of community-oriented signs gives drivers stuck in bridge traffic something to read. Each one tells a story.

The Draft Environmental Impact Statement gives the public an opportunity to review and comment on the bridge construction project. A 45-day public comment period lasts through Jan. 5.

The state did not expect to receive the money until late 2027 or early 2028, according to Luisa Paiewonsky, head of the project for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

A draft environmental report on the Cape Cod bridges replacement project is now available for public viewing, and state transportation officials held an open house Thursday in Bourne to solicit comments and answer questions.

The Town of Bourne requested the change, which extends the path beyond the Upper Cape Tech high school, according to a state official.

State Sen. Dylan Fernandes said a major rehabilitation of either bridge — which is due, for safety reasons, in the next several years — would involve completely shutting down the bridge for nine months.

Sunday, June 22, marked the 90th anniversary of the Bourne and Sagamore bridges — and the railroad bridge turns 90 in December. CAI met with Samantha Gray, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers park ranger, to hear more about the history.

Separately, the state says it will mail letters this week to about 1,000 property owners near the Bourne and Sagamore bridges whose property workers may need to access temporarily for the bridge project.