July 2, 2004
ROMNEY ADMINISTRATION PAVES WAY FOR SAGAMORE ROTARY FIX
Construction on Long-Awaited Rotary Improvement Project to Begin
Acting Governor Kerry Healey today kicked off the July 4th holiday weekend by signing legislation that will allow for work to begin on the long-awaited Sagamore rotary improvement project. Healey said the project will de-bottleneck a dangerous traffic hazard, ease travel on and off Cape Cod and eliminate the hassle of getting to a major tourist destination.
“It is appropriate that we sign this legislation at the start of one of the busiest traffic holidays of the year, when thousands of people head to the beaches of Cape Cod to celebrate the Fourth of July,” said Healey. “To all those motorists frustrated by the long delays at the Sagamore rotary, help is on the way.”
The new law signed by Healey permits the Massachusetts Highway Department to use 1.3 acres of vacant, publicly owned land for the $58.3 million rotary improvement initiative. In return, the Highway Department will give 4.3 acres of nearby land to the town of Bourne for open space. Local officials have unanimously endorsed the plan to transfer the parcels to the state.
The rotary improvement project will eliminate the existing rotary, connect Route 3 directly to the Sagamore Bridge and reroute the Scenic Highway and other local roadways. The Sagamore rotary was built in the 1930s to handle 40,000 cars a day. Currently, up to 90,000 cars use the rotary daily.
“After decades of discussion, we’re finally going to improve safety and mobility at one of the most significant traffic hazards in southeastern Massachusetts,” said Transportation Secretary Daniel A. Grabauskas. “We will work as expeditiously as possible to get the job done.”
The Sagamore rotary is one of the most dangerous traffic locations in the state, with accidents occurring at a rate five times the statewide average. Between 1999 and 2001, there were 269 accidents at the rotary.
The elimination of the Sagamore Rotary will greatly improve access to Cape Cod and result in a dramatic improvement in local access for the approximately 4,000 residents of the Sagamore Beach area. The project will also result in a significant reduction in idling traffic and a 17 percent reduction in auto emissions.
The Highway Department plans to begin construction on the improvement project in the fall with the goal of substantial completion by 2006. However, delays in passage of the legislation could affect the completion date. The Romney Administration filed the land-transfer legislation a year ago.
Healey used 16 different commemorative pens to sign the legislation in order to provide one to the Chairs of the Board of Selectmen for each of the 15 towns on the Cape and the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce.
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