The Bourne Bridge runs on just one lane in each direction starting Monday morning. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which owns the bridge, is doing routine maintenance. Lanes stay narrowed 24 hours a day until Tuesday, May 20.
The work covers four things. Crews are repaving the road surface. They are repairing steel joints damaged by snow plows over the winter. They are servicing the bridge lights. They are cleaning out the drains. None of the work touches the structure of the bridge itself.
The Sagamore Bridge is not affected. Both lanes in both directions stay open the whole time.
Walkers and bikers lose the first week
The sidewalk on the Bourne closes Monday morning too. The Army Corps plans to reopen it on or about May 4. For about a week, anyone walking or biking across the canal needs to use the Sagamore instead.
After May 4, the sidewalk reopens even though the road lanes stay narrowed.
What to expect when you drive
Plan for delays at morning and afternoon rush hours. The Bourne carries about 4,000 cars an hour at peak times in summer. Squeezing all of them into one lane each way slows things down even before tourist season starts.
If you can drive at off-peak times, that’s the easiest fix. If you can’t, expect 10 to 15 extra minutes each direction during the four weeks of work.
The Sagamore handles the load better right now. If your trip works either way, that’s the lighter route this month.
The work was scheduled before tourist season starts and after winter freeze damage stops. Bundling four jobs into one window means the bridge only goes under restriction once this year.