New Sagamore Bridge will have sunset lookout and separate lane for pedestrians and bikes, renderings show

Renderings show what the new Sagamore Bridge will look like on Cape Cod when construction is expected to finish 10 years from now.

Foundational work on the $2.1 billion project to replace the 91-year-old bridge began in May. 

Wider and longer Sagamore Bridge

Luisa Paiewonsky, MassDOT's executive director of megaproject delivery, told The Boston Globe that the new Sagamore will be "both wider and longer" than the current bridge, with 12-foot travel lanes and an expanded breakdown lane. Renderings give a look at how the new "twin bridge" structure will prevent head-on collisions.

The Sagamore has a narrow sidewalk next to traffic for cyclists and pedestrians, but the new design shows a separated 14-foot pathway for bikes and walkers. Paiewonsky told the newspaper that halfway across the bridge off the pedestrian path there will be a bench at a lookout that faces west toward the sunset. 

"These new renderings give people a look at the safer, stronger bridge we're building for residents, businesses and everyone who depends on these crossings every day," Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement.  

Cape Cod bridge replacement timeline

The state is targeting both of the aging Cape Cod bridges for replacement, but is starting with the Sagamore first because it sees more traffic and crashes than the Bourne Bridge.  

The latest timeline calls for the southbound span of the bridge to be "floated in" in the fall of 2031. That span is expected to open to traffic in the fall of 2033, after which the existing Sagamore Bridge will be demolished.

Construction on the new Sagamore Bridge is expected to be substantially complete by 2036.