The Sagamore Bridge replacement has entered its final procurement stage after Massachusetts secured $956 million in federal grant funding and issued a Request for Proposals for the design-build contract. The milestone moves the major Cape Cod transportation project toward contractor selection and construction, with additional federal funding expected to be authorized in October.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation is leading the project in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which owns the Sagamore and Bourne bridges. MassDOT issued the RFP after releasing a Request for Letters of Interest in March 2026 and a Request for Qualifications in May.
Final proposals are expected in May 2027, followed by a public bid opening anticipated in July. A Notice to Proceed is targeted for late 2027, with construction expected to begin during winter 2027.
The Federal Highway Administration is also expected to authorize another $371 million in federal grant funding in mid-October. Combined with previously secured funding, the federal commitment supports one of Massachusetts' largest transportation infrastructure investments.
The project will replace the existing Sagamore Bridge with two new bridge spans and reconstruct associated roadway interchanges. The work also includes improvements intended to support local and regional traffic movements and provide safer, more modern infrastructure for Cape Cod.
Both the Sagamore and Bourne bridges are 91 years old and serve as the only roadway connections between Cape Cod and mainland Massachusetts. The Sagamore replacement is the first phase of the broader Cape Cod Bridges Program, which ultimately calls for replacing both structures.
MassDOT expects the new eastbound span to open in 2033. Traffic will then move onto the new span while the existing bridge is demolished and the new westbound span is constructed. The project plan calls for maintaining two lanes in each direction throughout construction to preserve roadway capacity.
The replacement is being planned for a region with approximately 230,000 year-round residents and more than five million annual visitors. Federal environmental review was completed in August following the Federal Highway Administration's June 26 Record of Decision.
For contractors and infrastructure owners, the RFP release establishes a defined procurement path for a large-scale design-build transportation project with significant federal participation. The project also illustrates the scale and sequencing required to replace aging bridge infrastructure while maintaining traffic capacity.
MassDOT and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have separately applied for more than $1 billion in federal funding for replacement of the Bourne Bridge and are awaiting a decision. The two bridge replacements are being advanced as components of the broader Cape Cod Bridges Program.
Source: Mass. gov.
