Eminent domain for Sagamore Bridge replacement leaves vacant Bourne homes vulnerable to break-ins

BOURNE, Mass. — Several homes in Bourne’s Round Hill neighborhood were taken by the state to make way for the new Sagamore Bridge. Recently, some of those homes had to be boarded up after the state said teenagers had broken in to throw parties.

Former homeowners in the area, like Joyce Michard, moved out of the area in May.

Michaud’s longtime Bourne home was taken by the state through eminent domain for the Sagamore Bridge replacement.

She said financially, she’s in a much better place now, but emotionally, it’s different.

“It’s almost like a death in the family,” she said.

Michaud said MassDOT has been helpful throughout the relocation process, but she’s still grieving the home she spent 27 years in.

“It’s something you’re not going to get over real quick,” she explained.

There’s also another piece of the old property Michaud hadn’t been able to resolve.

She explained the tenant who rented the basement apartment had refused to leave, while also owing her 6-months of rent.

“I tried to do a good thing by giving a guy who needed help, help, and it didn’t work,” Michaud said.

MassDOT said that the tenant has moved out of Michaud’s old home recently.

Still, Michaud said the changes to the neighborhood have made it even harder to drive past after teenagers broke into the vacant homes.

“They were partying or whatever,” she said. “I went up about a month ago, and I just about passed out when I saw my house. Sick to my stomach. It was like a big loss.”

MassDOT confirmed the break-ins, saying they boarded up some of the homes and contacted the Bourne Police Department to conduct regular patrols.

Executive Director for MassDOT’s Megaprojects Delivery Office, Luisa Paiewonsky, said the 13-properties in the area were acquired for permanent use, and relations teams have worked directly with homeowners throughout the process.

“It’s a 91-year-old bridge that does need to be replaced. At the same time, we’re a public agency, and we recognize that there are individual human impacts, including the loss of home, so we let people in the neighborhood know that we’re going to be Bourne for a long time, we’ll work with them, we’ll answer their questions, we’ll provide them with the support they need, we take that role very seriously,” Paiewonsky said.

Construction on the new Sagamore Bridge is expected to begin in 2028.

MassDOT said the project is now moving through the early construction process, with demolition of the homes taken by eminent domain expected in the next few months.

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