A heartbroken widow on Cape Cod is preparing to say goodbye to the home she has lived in for over two decades, as it is set to be demolished to facilitate a major bridge replacement project.
Homes Seized for Public Infrastructure Project
Joyce Michaud, 80, is one of thirteen residents who will see their properties completely flattened by Massachusetts officials. The demolitions are part of the colossal $2.1 billion project to replace the ageing Sagamore Bridge, a vital link between Cape Cod and the mainland. Michaud's three-bedroom home on Cecilia Terrace, where she has lived since 2002, will be bulldozed to store construction equipment and will eventually become a stormwater basin for the new bridge.
"I thought: 'I'm all set. My kids don't have to worry. I'm all set'," Michaud told The Boston Globe. "And now, I'm not. It's really hard to lose something that you thought was yours." The state is acquiring the land through eminent domain, a legal process allowing property seizure for public use. An additional 17 properties will be partially acquired, and seven vacant lots will also be taken.
Residents Feel 'Blindsided' by Construction Plans
While the Commonwealth is offering homeowners above-market rates for their properties, many feel the compensation cannot replace what they are losing. Another couple, Joan and Marc Hendel, told the Daily Mail they felt "blindsided" after being notified in March that their brand-new dream home in Bourne would be seized.
The couple had purchased a vacant plot for $165,000 in December 2023 and spent a further $460,000 building a 1,700-square-foot home, unaware of the impending bridge project. They claim neither their realtor nor the local authority that issued their building permit warned them. Marc Hendel expressed concern that any home they could buy with the state's compensation would be older, smaller, and potentially in disrepair.
Luisa Paiewonsky, executive director of the MassDOT project, stated the agency started the process early to avoid rushing residents and offered them the chance to rent back their properties, though many declined.
A Decade of Disruption for the Whole Community
For those not losing their homes, the project still spells a decade of significant disruption. Neighbours like Dave Collins, 82, who has lived in the area since the 1960s, dread the onslaught of traffic, noise, and heavy equipment that will dominate the quiet neighbourhood for the next ten years.
"They're taking the whole neighbourhood," Collins said. "I'm going to die here watching them build that bridge in my front yard, and there's not a thing I can do about it." He also worries his property value will plummet once construction is underway.
The Sagamore and Bourne Bridges, both built in 1935 with a 50-year design life, are in desperate need of replacement. The Sagamore Bridge is being prioritised due to its heavier traffic flow. The total cost for replacing both bridges is projected to be $4.5 billion, with a $933 million federal grant awarded in July 2024 helping to fund the initial phase.
