Trying to finally get new Cape bridges built, Healey tries different strategy
By Matt Stout | Globe Staff | Updated August 14, 2023, 5:28 p.m.
In a major shift from her predecessor, Governor Maura Healey this month will begin pursuing federal funds to initially replace just one of the two aging Cape Cod bridges, arguing that seeking aid this year for only the Sagamore Bridge will maximize the state’s chances to cover the larger project’s ballooning price tag.
Healey said her administration remains committed to replacing both the Sagamore and Bourne bridges, the 88-year-old arching structures that straddle the Cape Cod Canal and are the only roads on and off the peninsula that sees a huge influx of visitors each summer.
State officials say they now believe replacing the two bridges will cost $4.5 billion, up from a projected $4 billion last year and roughly $1 billion just a few years ago. They also estimate it could take up to eight years to replace each one, with construction beginning on the Sagamore Bridge in 2028.
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