Massachusetts secures $1 billion in federal funds to help replace Cape Cod bridges

BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts is making headway on putting together the funding needed to replace two aging bridges that connect Cape Cod to the rest of the state.

Gov. Maura Healey announced Friday that the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have secured nearly $1 billion in additional federal dollars for the construction of the replacement spans over the Cape Cod Canal. The funding was included in a bipartisan bridge investment program.

The additional $1 billion brings the total amount of federal funding secured for the project to nearly $1.72 billion, in addition to the $700 million in state funding pledged by the Healey administration.

The full cost to replace both bridges is estimated at around $4.5 billion.

“This is a game-changing award for Massachusetts. We’ve never been closer to rebuilding the Cape Cod Bridges than we are right now. This funding will be critical for getting shovels in the ground,” Healey said.

Cape Cod and the islands — Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket — are home to 263,000 permanent residents and are popular tourist destinations with five million annual visitors.

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