COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020; Congressional Record Vol. 165, No. 109
(Extensions of Remarks - June 27, 2019)
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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E855-E856]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT,
2020
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speech of
HON. WILLIAM R. KEATING
of massachusetts
in the house of representatives
Monday, June 24, 2019
The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of
the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 3055) making
appropriations for the Departments of Commerce and Justice,
Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending
September 30, 2020, and for other purposes:
Mr. KEATING. Mr. Chair, as many of bridges across the nation are
reaching the end of their useful lives, it is important for the
Department to prioritize funding for the design of new structures
needed to replace these out of date and outmoded bridges. This is most
critical for bridges that constitute essential components of evacuation
routes, such as our two Cape Cod bridges. When these structures are
owned by the United States Government, we have both a legal and a moral
responsibility to ensure that they are adequate to the demands put upon
them.
In my district, nearly 250,000 of my constituents live on the
peninsula of Cape Cod and the Islands of Martha's Vineyard and
Nantucket. In the event of an emergency, these citizens' only available
evacuation route is
[[Page E856]]
over the Cape Cod Canal bridges. The Canal bridges were completed in
1935 and 1938. They were constructed for the age of the Model T, and
not the age of the SUV.
The Canal bridges are now insufficient for the needs of the Cape and
Islands community. The lanes on the bridges are too narrow, and do not
reflect current federal highway standards. They lack a breakdown lane
that could be used for additional road space in an emergency. With the
Canal bridges in their current state on a busy summer weekend, the
traffic can back up for miles. During an evacuation scenario, this
congestion would be far worse and pose a real risk to public safety.
The Cape Cod Canal bridges have reached the end of their useful
lives, and modern replacements for them will be needed within the next
several years. Replacementt bridges must be designed soon so that the
United States Government can live up to its responsibility to provide
transit for Cape Cod residents and visitors over the Cape Cod Canal--
especially in the event of an emergency.
The Canal bridges, and projects like them across the nation, need
funding to support them through the costly design phase. Without
designs in hand, it is impossible for transportation planners to
precisely estimate the scope of work and costs of replacing this aging
infrastructure so they can move forward towards construction. That is
why my amendment is so important not only for our community, but
communities like ours around the country.
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