U.S. Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) recently sent a letter to the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, urging the inclusion of $350 million in the final fiscal year 2024 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill to help fund the Cape Cod bridges replacement.
The Bourne and Sagamore Bridges are nearly 90 years old and functionally obsolete. They require increasingly costly maintenance and a major rehabilitation over the next decade.
The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded the project a $372 million Mega grant in December. The state also has received a $1.6 million planning grant for the project. President Joe Biden’s budget for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers included a $350 million down payment toward a $600 million allocation.
The subcommittee advanced the appropriations bill in July and allocated $350 million for the bridges’ replacement. The Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives are working to reconcile their appropriations bills.
“The economic vitality and quality of life for Cape Cod’s residents, workers, and visitors are deeply reliant on the replacement of these bridges,” the senators wrote.
The latter was sent to Interim Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) and Ranking Member John Kennedy (R-LA).