Trump budget omits funds for Cape bridges

Trump budget omits funds for Cape bridges



By Geoff Spillane

Funding to replace the Sagamore and Bourne bridges is not included in President Trump’s fiscal 2021 budget or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ fiscal 2020 work plan. 

WASHINGTON — Funding for the replacement of the Sagamore and Bourne bridges is not included in President Trump’s fiscal 2021 budget or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ fiscal 2020 work plan, both of which were released this week.

The exclusion prompted U.S. Sens. Edward Markey and Elizabeth Warren and U.S. Rep. William Keating, all Massachusetts Democrats, to send a strongly worded letter to Washington late Thursday calling the omission “inexplicable” and expressing “deep disappointment.”

“We are greatly disturbed by this omission of funds for the Cape Cod Canal bridges and demand answers as to how the USACE plans to finance the replacement of such vital bridges that have long outlived their usefulness,” they wrote in the letter to Mick Mulvaney, a member of the president’s Cabinet as director of the office of management and budget, and Rickey James, assistant secretary of the Army for Civil Works.

The Army Corps, in a draft version of its Major Rehabilitation Evaluation Study released in October, recommended replacing the bridges instead of rehabilitating the two 84-year-old spans. The Army Corps, which owns and maintains the bridges, determined the $1.5 billion estimated to replace them would be more cost-effective than repairing them, and work could begin as early as 2025.

The Army Corps at the time said a final report would be submitted to its headquarters this month.

“At this point, we’re focusing on completing the Major Rehabilitation Report and submitting it to our headquarters for approval,” Beth Gosselin, chief of public affairs for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New England District, wrote in an email to the Times. “Until we have an approved report, we can’t move to the budgeting process. At this time, we are funded to continue to maintain the bridges in order to ensure the continued safety of the traveling public.”

Although there was no money in the budgets for the replacement project, the Army Corps Work Plan does allocate $11.9 million for the Cape Cod Canal Federal Navigation Project, and the president’s budget allots $12.4 million for ongoing operations and maintenance of the canal.

The federal legislators, however, said in the letter that they had previously requested an allocation of Army Corps funds in fiscal 2020 as a “significant down payment and a responsible long-term investment,” so that if a final decision on the replacement recommendation were made this spring, the project could begin immediately to avoid delays and increased costs.

“We are concerned that this decision reflects a failure to understand the urgency of the situation for the Cape & Islands,” the region’s federal delegation wrote. “The residents of this region cannot wait multiple years for this project to begin. The Bourne and Sagamore are not only vital links to the beating heart of the Massachusetts tourism economy, but critical evacuation routes in the event of an emergency. Two new structures are needed without delay in order to protect both the local economy and public safety.”

Keating hit hard at the Trump administration in a message to the Times on Thursday night.

“Congress has repeatedly appropriated funds to the Army Corps to perform necessary projects like continuing the ongoing work on the Cape Cod Canal bridges,” he said. “This Administration, however, has once again ignored the will of Congress and instead decided to gut the Army Corps’ budget for the second year in a row, including blatantly ignoring the work needed on the canal bridges. The Administration’s continued refusal to fund these vital infrastructure projects has a direct, negative impact on the daily lives of the 250,000 Massachusetts residents who depend on the Bourne and Sagamore bridges.”

“We are in it for the long haul,” said Wendy Northcross, CEO of the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce. “We know it is not going to be a simple task to get the funding, but I think we will prevail eventually. The federal government owns the bridges, and they have a responsibility to help us figure this out.”

Northcross added that the nation as a whole needs an infrastructure bill for transportation and water infrastructure.

“It’s disappointing that the Trump administration has gone back on the Army Corps’ commitment to replace the aging bridges that span the Cape Cod Canal,” said state Sen. Julian Cyr, D-Truro. “While the administration has neglected to fund new Sagamore and Bourne bridges, I have confidence that our federal delegation will deliver for the Cape and Islands on these critical projects.”