Massachusetts Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward J. Markey and Representative Bill Keating, whose district includes Cape Cod and the South Shore, said the funding matches a request from President Biden in his budget to provide an initial $350 million for the bridges project toward a total commitment of $600 million.
The funds earmarked for the Bourne and Sagamore bridge projects were included in the fiscal year 2024 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act released by the Senate and House appropriations committees Monday.
Massachusetts is set to receive about $350 million in federal money to help pay for the replacement of two aging bridges that carry traffic on and off Cape Cod, a boost that brings the state one step closer to funding the multi-billion-dollar project, members of the congressional delegation said Monday.
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“This funding is another major step towards replacing the aging Sagamore and Bourne bridges and delivering much-needed federal investment to Cape Cod, the Islands, and the surrounding region,” the lawmakers said in a statement.
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“We are grateful for Senate Appropriations Chair Patty Murray for prioritizing the Bridges and appreciate the ongoing partnership of Governor [Maura] Healey and the Biden administration to make this project a reality.”
The new funding comes after the state received a $372 million grant from the US Department of Transportation in December for the Cape Cod bridges. The state has also applied for more than $1 billion in grant funding through the federal Bridge Investment Program.
State officials have estimated replacing both bridges will cost $4.5 billion. They’re considered functionally obsolete, and officials have said pursuing lengthy and costly fixes in lieu of replacement could be catastrophic to crossings that carry tens of millions of cars each year.
After taking office last year, Healey said she would first pursue federal funds to replace the Sagamore Bridge, which could cost more than $2.1 billion, officials have said. State officials said they plan to replace the Sagamore Bridge first because it carries nearly 17,000 more cars on average each day than the Bourne Bridge.
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Officials have said that without replacing or fixing each bridge, they’ll be forced to permanently close a lane in each direction by 2032 on the Bourne Bridge and by 2036 on the Sagamore Bridge.
Material from previous Globe stories was used in this report.
Nick Stoico can be reached at nick.stoico@globe.com.