MASSACHUSETTS LAWMAKERS HOST MEETING ON CAPE COD CANAL BRIDGES AFTER ENACTMENT OF BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW

Statement

Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Congressman William R. Keating (MA-09), today hosted a meeting to discuss the future of the Cape Cod Canal Bridges with leaders from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The Canal Bridges -- also known as the Bourne and Sagamore Bridges -- connect the nearly 250,000 residents of the Cape and Islands to the rest of Massachusetts, serving as essential routes for general transportation, tourism, and evacuations in case of an emergency. Although the USACE has ably owned and maintained the bridges since the 1930s, they are now more than eighty-five years old, structurally deficient, and in desperate need of replacement.

Today, the Massachusetts lawmakers convened federal and state agencies to discuss the path forward for replacing the Canal Bridges after enactment of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) in November 2021. Senator Markey, Senator Warren, and Congressman Keating ensured that the bipartisan infrastructure law provides funding opportunities to advance this critical effort on Cape Cod, including nearly $35 billion in competitive grant programs that can be targeted for bridge replacement projects. The legislation also provided more than $17 billion in direct funding for the USACE and more than $9 billion for Massachusetts' infrastructure needs over the next five years.

"After years of hard work and preparation, the bipartisan infrastructure law finally provides a path forward for replacing the Cape Cod Bridges," said Senator Markey, Senator Warren, and Congressman Keating. "This is our moment, and we're proud to have helped create various funding sources that can now allow us to deliver two new bridges for the Cape and Islands. Today's agency meeting is a big step forward for developing the joint action plan we'll need to take advantage of these historic opportunities, and we thank MassDOT, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, the Army Corps, and Federal Highways for their ongoing collaboration. We are focusing first on securing all of the grant funding we can, while thinking boldly and creatively about how to leverage the law's other infrastructure investments as necessary. Everyone is committed to doing their part for this essential project, and we're confident that, together, we can get this done."

"Replacing the federally-owned Sagamore and Bourne Bridges is critically important, and we are fully committed to our partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers and other federal and state partners to make it happen," said Governor Charlie Baker. "The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides the Corps with access to robust discretionary funding opportunities, and we are confident that with the ongoing support of our Administration and the Congressional delegation, we can secure a full funding plan."

"The Cape Cod Bridges are iconic and crucial gateways to and from the Cape and Islands," said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. "We are thankful to our partners in the Congressional delegation, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Highway Administration for their efforts to create an achievable funding and project delivery plan."