Three members of Massachusetts’ congressional delegation hosted a meeting Friday to discuss the future of the Cape Cod Canal Bridges.
U.S. Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and U.S. Rep. William R. Keating (D-MA) hosted the meeting that was attended by 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.
Residents of the Cape and islands are connected to the mainland using the Canal Bridges, also known as the Bourne and Sagamore Bridges. The USACE owns and maintains the more than 85-year-old bridges, which are structurally deficient and need replacement.
The lawmakers stated that the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is providing nearly $35 billion in competitive grants that can be used for bridge replacement projects as well as $9 billion for Massachusetts’ infrastructure and more than $17 billion in direct funding for the USACE. These funds could be used to move the bridge project forward.
The USACE pledged to apply for as much federal grant funding as it can obtain for the project.
MassDOT committed to providing expertise and support to the USACE’s grant applications.