The option of building the third crossing of Cape Cod Canal through a P3 project in Massachusetts (USA) has been put aside as the authorities are now considering to focus on the renovation of the two existing bridges, which are already functionally obsolete.

In March 2014 we reported that the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT)  announced plans to develop the project under the P3 model. The total project investment was estimated at about US$320 million.

There were two possible locations:

• New bridge located immediately west of existing Sagamore Bridge.
• New bridge located roughly midway between Sagamore and Bourne Bridges.

According to sources, the authorities are currently more interested in replacing the two 10-foot-wide lanes old bridges in order to increase their capacity and relieve the congestion of the Cape.

“We don’t need private vendors building a third bridge because the federal government can’t stand up and meet their obligations,” state Representative David Vieira said.

Wendy Northcross, CEO of the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, said:

"Traffic is a way of life on the Cape, especially near the two bridges, but by one estimation the work on the bridges and the resulting congestion cost the peninsula $30 million in one year, assuming 100 construction days."