After crews worked on the Sagamore Bridge in the spring, workers will be shifting to the Bourne Bridge for critical maintenance work this fall. (Matt Stone/Boston Herald)
Cape Cod bridge maintenance work and 24/7 lane closures will be returning a couple of weeks after Labor Day, as officials warn motorists of travel delays through November.
After crews worked on the Sagamore Bridge in the spring, workers will be shifting to the Bourne Bridge for critical maintenance work starting on Sept. 18, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District.
Vehicle travel over the bridge will be cut from the current two lanes in each direction to a single 12-foot-wide lane in each direction. Lane restrictions will be in place 24 hours a day until the project is completed.
“Motorists planning to use the Bourne Bridge should expect travel delays likely to occur during the morning and afternoon peak travel periods each day,” the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said in a statement.
“Repair work and lane restrictions are scheduled to run through late November, weather permitting,” USACE added.
USACE delayed the original project start date by a week because of expected traffic from the Cape Cod Canal Day festival on Sept. 16 at Buzzards Bay Park.
“This maintenance work is critical to maintaining the structural integrity of the Bourne Bridge, a vital component to the transportation system of Cape Cod, the Islands and southeastern Massachusetts,” USACE said.
Work will include concrete and pavement repairs on the bridge roadway, repair of deteriorated steel supports, maintenance of bridge joints, and repairs to the concrete abutment structures. Crews will also perform maintenance work on the bridge lighting and drainage systems.
Recently, Gov. Maura Healey announced that her administration has submitted federal grant applications to support the Cape Cod bridges. The state is seeking $1.45 billion in grant funding from the federal government.
“This application places Massachusetts in the strongest position to get shovels in the ground quickly on the Sagamore Bridge while laying the groundwork for rebuilding the Bourne Bridge,” the Healey administration said in a statement.
The Healey administration recently included $262 million toward replacing the bridges in their Fiscal Year 2024-2028 Capital Investment Plan — with the goal of ramping up to Healey’s $700 million total long-term commitment. Last month, the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced President Biden’s budget proposal of $350 million for the Cape Cod Canal Bridges Project.
