Lanes to open on Sagamore Bridge Sunday
Extensive reconstruction work currently underway on the Sagamore Bridge over the Cape Cod Canal is causing traffic jams daily. In an attempt to alleviate the blockage, the Army Corps of Engineers announced this afternoon that two lanes of Route 6 heading off the Cape will be open on this Sunday beginning at mid-day and extending into Monday morning.
A press release issued this afternoon concerning the project said:
"Work on the bridge started on Monday, Sept. 14, 2009. Phase I (of three phases) work accomplished to date includes removal of all existing granite curb from existing sidewalk, nearly complete removal of existing roadway pavement, staging and scaffolding to demolish parapet walls and sidewalk concrete on the North and South abutments.
"Additional message boards are being activated on highway approaches to the Sagamore and Bourne Bridges, alerting motorists of the Sagamore Bridge work.
"A second lane of travel off of Cape Cod will be in effect from Sunday, Sept. 20 from 11 a.m. through Monday, Sept. 21 at 10 a.m.
"This will require use of the work area to create a second travel lane off of Cape Cod, and will result in no work being performed on the Sagamore Bridge during this period. The on Cape travel lane will remain in place during this time.
"On Monday, Sept. 21 at 10 a.m. travel will return to one lane in each direction on the Sagamore Bridge, in order that work may resume and attempts will be made to regain lost progress. Substantial effort is being made to create safe passage for this second lane of travel off Cape Cod.
"Work on the Sagamore Bridge is scheduled to continue, weather permitting, until late fall 2009 at which time the Sagamore Bridge will be fully reopened to traffic (two lanes in both directions) through the winter. In the spring of 2010, work will resume on the Sagamore Bridge and require lane restrictions (one lane in each direction) again until the project is completed in late spring of 2010."
