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 make way for a major new bridge. Joyce Michaud, 80, is one of thirteen residents who will see their properties completely flattened by the state of Massachusetts as part of a colossal $2.1 billion project to replace the ageing Sagamore Bridge.
The Human Cost of Progress
For Joyce Michaud, the three-bedroom house on Cecilia Terrace where she has lived since 2002 represented security and a peaceful retirement with views of the water. "I thought: 'I’m all set. My kids don’t have to worry. I’m all set'," she told The Boston Globe. "And now, I'm not. It’s really hard to lose something that you thought was yours." Her home will be bulldozed to store construction equipment and will eventually become a stormwater basin for the new bridge.
The state is using its power of eminent domain to seize the land for public use, offering homeowners an above-market rate. An additional 17 properties will be partially acquired, and seven vacant lots will also be taken. Luisa Paiewonsky, executive director of the MassDOT project, stated the process started early to avoid rushing residents, allowing them to rent back their homes if needed, though many have rejected that option.
Dreams Dashed and Neighbourhoods Transformed
The impact extends beyond those losing their homes entirely. Joan and Marc Hendel told the Daily Mail they felt "blindsided" after building their dream 1,700-square-foot home on a Bourne plot for over $625,000, only to be notified in March that it would be seized. They claim neither their realtor nor the local authority warned them of the impending Cape Cod bridges replacement project when they obtained their building permit.
Even residents who get to keep their homes dread the decade of disruption ahead. Dave Collins, 82, who has lived in the area since the 1960s, fears plummeting property values and constant noise. "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 said.
A $4.5 Billion Infrastructure Imperative
The scale of the project is vast. The Sagamore Bridge, built in 1935 with a 50-year design life, is being prioritised for replacement due to its heavy traffic flow. Its sister, the Bourne Bridge, will follow. The total cost for both is projected to reach $4.5 billion. Funding includes a $933 million federal grant awarded in July 2024, with the remainder expected from the US Department of Transportation's Bridge Investment Program.
While the bridges are deemed critically unsafe and in desperate need of replacement, the process leaves a trail of personal upheaval. The state has not disclosed the total acquisition cost or how many more homes might be seized for the subsequent Bourne Bridge project, leaving a cloud of uncertainty over the iconic Cape Cod community.
