Cape Cod Bridge Replacement Funding Paused, Trump Administration Says

CAPE COD, MA — President Donald Trump's administration said Friday it would pause $11 billion in U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project funding, which includes $600 million in funding for the Cape Cod bridges.

State officials, including Gov. Maura Healey, said they hadn't heard any information from the government about the move, but noted that the $250 million in Bourne Bridge funding and $350 million in Sagamore Bridge funding are just a piece of that project's total budget.

“While we are aware that the White House Office of Management and Budget tweeted that the Trump Administration is pausing $11 billion in U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects, we have not received any information from the federal government regarding this action,” said Healey, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Bill Keating in a joint statement.

The statement continued:

“The Cape Cod Bridges are federally-owned assets that carry millions of travelers a year, and are essential for the safety of Cape Codders and visitors from across the country and the world. This project is moving forward with funding appropriated by a bipartisan Congress and lawfully awarded by the federal government. Our focus remains on rebuilding both bridges and delivering the safe, reliable transportation infrastructure that our residents, visitors and businesses deserve.” ;

The project has secured a total of $1.72 billion in federal funding for the project, officials said.

On the federal government's side, Director of Trump's Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought claimed the government shutdown "has drained the Army Corps of Engineers' ability to manage billions of dollars in projects."

"The Corps will be immediately pausing over $11 billion in lower-priority projects & considering them for cancellation, including projects in New York, San Francisco, Boston, and Baltimore," Vought said.

Massachusetts State Sen. Dylan Fernandes called the decision an attempt to "steal funds dedicated to the Cape Bridge project."

"Trump and Congressional Republicans couldn't care less about the lives of Cape and Islanders, and this cut could do irreparable damage to our region. This action by the Trump Administration threatens to close the Cape bridges, and we are going to fight back to ensure Cape and islanders have safe and reliable transportation access," Fernandes said.