Cape Cod Sagamore Bridge Closure Delayed Again

BOURNE, MA — Maintenance work on the Sagamore Bridge was supposed to begin on Monday, but the project has been hit with another delay.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced on Sunday that the maintenance will now begin on March 20, a delay of one week.

The Sagamore Bridge will be reduced to one lane as "critical maintenance" is performed on the aging structure.

Sagamore bridge travel will be reduced from the current two lanes in each direction to a single 12-foot-wide lane in each direction as repairs are conducted.

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, officials said.

Work crews will also perform maintenance work on the bridge lighting and drainage systems during this timeframe.

Lane restrictions will be in place 24 hours a day until the project is completed, and police details will be on site when work is being performed to assist with traffic, officials said.

MassDOT said that work is expected to stretch through the end of May.

Traffic signs and message boards will be used to help inform motorists about pending lane restrictions and bridge work.

The Sagamore and Bourne Bridge provide the only roadway connection on and off Cape Cod for the 263,000 residents of the Cape and Islands, as well as 5 million annual visitors, MassDOT said.

Both are slated to be replaced, and the project has a total estimated cost of $3.976 billion. It would replace both bridges and improve the adjoining roadway network. It will also provide for better bicycle and pedestrian access.