[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 109 (Thursday, June 27, 2019)]
[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

                                 ______
                                 

                               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needed to replace these out of date and outmoded bridges.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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