A new poll conducted by American Strategies shows strong, broad support for the current proposed plan to replace both the Sagamore and Bourne bridges. The poll showed that 86% of residents on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket support the current replacement plan.
Additionally, more than two-thirds of poll respondents said replacing the bridges should be a high priority for regional, state, and national leaders.
The Cape Cod & Islands Association of REALTORS® (CCIAOR) conducted the poll in partnership with the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, to provide information for the Chamber-led Cape and Islands Bridge Coalition (CIBC). The poll took place December 5 through 10, 2024, and was conducted by phone and online surveys of registered voters living in Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket counties.
According to CCIAOR, the purpose was to gain more insight into the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s proposed plan for the replacement of both the Sagamore and Bourne bridges and to get feedback about various aspects of the plan.
Respondents were offered the following summary of the official Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s (MassDOT) bridge replacement plan and asked how they felt about it:
- “The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Army Corp of Engineers are working on a plan to replace the two bridges that connect Cape Cod to the mainland. The new bridges will each carry six lanes of traffic, with two lanes in each direction and a dedicated turn lane each way. The project will take about ten years to complete and cost an estimated $4.5 billion. The Sagamore Bridge will be paid for with a combination of federal and state funding. Funding for the Bourne Bridge has not yet been identified.”
“There is broad bi-partisan support for the current plan as described by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The plan is widely popular among all demographics and across all regions of the Cape and islands,” said Joe Goode, Chief Executive Officer of American Strategies, the firm that conducted the poll.
Overall, transportation and the need to fix roads and bridges across the Cape Cod region were identified as top priorities for respondents, ranking third in priority behind the issues of housing affordability and immigration.
“The bridges are simply obsolete. They were built in the 1930s and were not designed for today’s cars, sport utility vehicles, or trucks. This poll shows near universal support for the plan to create wider bridges that can handle the cars that cross them daily,” said Ryan Castle, the Chief Executive Officer of CCIAOR.
Although there is widespread support by residents and businesses to replace the bridges, there is work to be done to identify the funding needed.
“The aging Sagamore and Bourne Bridges are more than just infrastructure—they are lifelines for Cape Cod. The CIBC and the Cape Cod Chamber recognize that the continued deterioration of these vital structures poses a serious threat to our economy, safety, and way of life. While state and federal officials have made progress toward funding a new Sagamore Bridge, no funding has yet been identified for the replacement of the Bourne Bridge. The urgent replacement of both bridges is critical for preserving the vitality and sustainability of the entire Cape Cod region,” said Paul Niedzwiecki, Chief Executive Officer of the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce and Co-Chair of the CIBC.
Geographically, support for replacement of the bridges was the highest in the Upper and Mid-Cape regions; however, there was majority support in every region throughout Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket.
ABOUT THE POLL
American Strategies designed and administered this multi-modal survey conducted by professional
interviewers and via online platform. The survey reached 444 adults (400 weighted) adults, age 18 or older, who indicated they were registered to vote in Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket Counties, Massachusetts. The survey was conducted December 5-10, 2024. Thirty-eight percent of respondents were reached on wireless phones and thirteen percent on VOIP/landlines. Forty-nine percent of respondents were reached online. Quotas were assigned to reflect the demographic distribution of registered voters in Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket Counties, Massachusetts, and the data were weighted to ensure an accurate reflection of the population. The overall margin of error is +/- 4.9%.
ABOUT THE CAPE & ISLANDS BRIDGES COALITION (CIBC)
The Cape & Islands Bridges Coalition (CIBC) was formed in 2024 in response to business and community concerns related to maintenance and replacement of the nearly 90-year-old Sagamore and Bourne Bridges. The CIBC’s mission is to support full funding and replacement of both Cape Cod Bridges, while mitigating adverse impacts to regional businesses, residents, and workers. The CIBC is composed of nearly 50 business and community organizations, representing the Cape, the Islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, South Shore, and Greater Boston. To learn more about the CIBC visit www.FixCapeCodBridges.com