The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers settled on a memorandum of understanding over funding for the Bourne and Sagamore bridges, the parties announced Tuesday.
As part of the memorandum of understanding (MOU), all parties now agree that funding for the new bridges is the federal government’s responsibility, but that the USACE, MassDOT, and the U.S. Department of the Army will work together to come up with a funding plan.
Under the agreement, the USACE will continue to own, operate, and maintain the existing Bourne and Sagamore bridges. The MassDOT will serve as the lead project delivery agency with the responsibility to construct the two new bridges, which they will own, operate, and maintain when construction is complete.
“The bridges over the Cape Cod Canal are among the most important transportation structures in the entire Commonwealth, and we are grateful to have agreement on a new Memorandum of Understanding, which puts us on a path to replace both,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “This MOU will be a ‘living’ document that should reassure residents, the business community, and visitors that the current bridges will be maintained while steps go forward to build two new bridges.”
The MOU makes clear how the MassDOT and USACE will work together to plan, permit, fund, construct, demolish and transfer ownership of the two new bridges, which will be built to current federal highway and MassDOT standards. The two organizations will work together to come up with a plan to establish funding for the bridge, which will then have to go before Congress for approval.
“With the decision made to replace the existing bridges, this MOU lays out how that process will proceed,” said Massachusetts Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack. “MassDOT is pleased to take the lead on constructing the new bridges, working closely with our federal partners, and will also be responsible for redesigning and reconstructing the approaches to the two new bridges. We look forward to engaging town and city officials in the region, community leaders, residents, business owners, and other stakeholders as we move through the design and permitting process, beginning with an alternatives analysis that will help decide the exact locations and configuration of the replacement bridges. Most of all, we look forward to a day when two new bridges will be in place over the Canal, built to modern-day standards and in place to help people safely get to and from the Cape for many decades.”