Why a $2.4 billion Cape Cod bridge project is forcing homeowners in the US to give up their properties 

The 90-year-old Sagamore and Bourne bridges are the only vehicle routes connecting Cape Cod to the mainland-Representative photo

When Joan and Marc Hendel moved into their newly built Cape Cod home in March, they never imagined they’d receive a hand-delivered notice from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation telling them it would be taken for the state’s largest public works project in decades — the replacement of the Sagamore Bridge.

Their house, along with at least 12 others and three commercial properties in Bourne’s Round Hill neighbourhood, is slated for acquisition under eminent domain to make way for a new bridge and expanded road network, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The 90-year-old Sagamore and Bourne bridges are the only vehicle routes connecting Cape Cod to the mainland. Declared “functionally obsolete” in 2020, the Sagamore Bridge is set for full replacement after the state secured more than $1 billion in federal funding toward the $2.4 billion cost. While talk of a replacement has circulated for decades, many Round Hill residents — including the Hendels — say they were never warned when buying or building their homes that the bridge’s relocation might run through their neighbourhood.

Round Hill, developed in the 1950s by local builder John Gallo Sr., has remained a close-knit, largely middle-class enclave where homes often stay in families for generations. Residents now face losing not only their houses but a community with deep personal and historical ties. Some, like retired teacher Nancy Tontini Whittum, inherited their homes from parents; others, like Joyce Michaud, have businesses based in their properties and say relocation would upend their livelihoods.

Eminent domain in Massachusetts

The state operates under a “quick take” system, allowing it to seize title to property before final compensation is determined. Owners receive an initial payment based on the government’s appraisal but must sue within three years to seek more. Critics say the process heavily favours the state, leaving displaced homeowners to bear the burden of proving their property is worth more than offered.

The Hendels claim neither their seller nor their agent disclosed any risk of the taking, despite a signed statement asserting no knowledge of future public use. Seller Louis Gallo disputes signing such a document and says any responsibility lies with real-estate agents. Other locals insist the possibility of a bridge route through Round Hill has been widely known for years.

Although MassDOT says the design is unlikely to change, final plans await environmental testing in 2026. The Hendels and some neighbours cling to the hope that funding issues, geological findings, or environmental obstacles might derail the project before construction begins. For now, residents face the prospect of losing homes they’ve invested in — financially and emotionally — to a project they had little power to influence.