In July, MassDOT held a public hearing on the new Sagamore Bridge. People asked a lot of questions that night and after.
MassDOT has posted its written answers. Here is what it said, in plain English.
Will Bourne get a written agreement?
Not a promise yet. The Bourne Select Board asked for a formal agreement with MassDOT. MassDOT says it will “discuss options for reciprocal agreements” with the Select Board.
It also says the rules the builder has to follow are already set. They come from the environmental approvals, the permits and the construction contract.
Will traffic get worse during construction?
- Two lanes each way stay open across the canal the whole time.
- Today’s ramps stay open until the new ones are ready.
- Big truck deliveries go at quiet times when possible. That means not during school drop-off and pickup, and not on the busiest summer days.
- Work trucks use main roads, not neighborhood streets, when possible.
- MassDOT can change the plan if traffic or cut-through driving gets bad.
Will Waze and Google Maps know about closures?
Yes. MassDOT will send closure and detour news to Google Maps, Waze and Apple Maps.
But it does not control how those apps send drivers. It cannot stop anyone from taking a local road. It plans to use signs, police and traffic watching to steer drivers back to the main routes.
What about the Bourne Bridge in the meantime?
The Army Corps owns the Bourne Bridge. It keeps taking care of it until the Bourne gets replaced.
MassDOT says the builder will watch traffic at both bridges, not just the Sagamore. Crashes and breakdowns will get cleared fast.
Ambulances, fire trucks and school buses
The builder’s traffic plan has to cover emergency trips, school buses and evacuation. MassDOT will tell Bourne police, fire, the State Police and the schools before big traffic changes. That gives them time to change their routes.
Noise, dust and shaking
The builder has to have a plan for noise and shaking. It has to measure both and fix problems. It also needs a plan to keep dust down. Neighbors will have a way to report problems.
Biking and walking
During construction, parts of the Canal Service Road will close near the work. There will be signed detours:
- On the mainland side, a detour along Scenic Highway that rejoins the Service Road near the Sagamore Recreation Area.
- A short-term link to the north Service Road through the Herring Run Recreation Area.
- On the Cape side, a link from the Mid-Cape Connector area to Keith Field.
After construction, the new bridge heading onto the Cape gets a 14-foot path for walkers and bikes. A barrier separates it from cars, and there is a lookout in the middle. Two new railroad crossings on the Cape side will connect it to the south Service Road.
The Scenic Highway detour is meant to be temporary. If the town asks to keep it, MassDOT says it may look at that.
Is the new lane a third lane?
No. Each new bridge has two travel lanes plus a 12-foot lane for getting on and off. That lane only runs the length of the bridge. It does not keep going past the exits.
What happens to the old bridge?
- Some of it stays nearby. Pieces of the steel truss and the granite get reused at the new bridge and along the new paths.
- Some of it goes to the public. MassDOT will offer pieces to towns, schools, history groups, art groups and the public.
- Some of it goes to sea. Concrete and granite from the old piers will go to a fish reef off the Massachusetts coast.
- The rest gets recycled where it can be. Anything with lead or asbestos gets handled under the safety rules.
What is not in this project
- No new train, bus or ferry service.
- No new park and ride. MassDOT may look at one as part of the Bourne Bridge project.
- It does not finish the Bourne Rail Trail.
- Nobody is renaming the Sagamore. MassDOT says it knows of no plan to.
Will a bigger bridge bring more traffic to the Cape?
MassDOT says no. The new bridge connects the same places the old one does. It does not open up new land or new roads.
By 2050, MassDOT expects people to drive fewer total miles with the new bridge than without it.
Read it yourself
MassDOT’s answers run 11 pages. Read MassDOT’s FAQ →
You can still send MassDOT a question or comment at any time through its comment form.