Cape Cod Canal

Cape Cod Canal
The Bourne Bridge with the Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge in distance
Location of the Cape Cod Canal
Location	Barnstable County, Massachusetts
Country	United States
Coordinates	41°45′51″N 70°34′6″W / 41.76417°N 70.56833°W / 41.76417; -70.56833
Specifications
Length	7.4 miles (11.9 km)
Maximum boat length	825 feet (251 m)[1]
Maximum boat draft	32 feet (9.8 m)[1]
Maximum boat air draft	135 feet (41 m)[1]
Locks	None
Status	Open
Navigation authority	U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
History
Original owner	Cape Cod & New York Canal Company
Principal engineer	William Barclay Parsons
Construction began	June 22, 1909
Date of first use	July 29, 1914 (1914-07-29)
Geography
Start point	Cape Cod Bay
End point	Buzzards Bay
Route map Legend Cape Cod Bay East Boat Basin Sagamore Bridge US 6 Herring River Bourne Bridge Route 28 Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge Buzzards Bay This diagram: view talk edit

The Cape Cod Canal is an artificial waterway in Massachusetts connecting Cape Cod Bay in the north to Buzzards Bay in the south, and is part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. The approximately 7.4-mile-long (11.9 km) canal traverses the neck of land joining Cape Cod to the state's mainland. It mostly follows tidal rivers widened to 480 feet (150 m) and deepened to 32 feet (9.8 m) at mean low water, shaving up to 135 miles (217 km) off the journey around the cape for its approximately 14,000 annual users.^[2]

Most of the canal is located in the town of Bourne, but its northeastern terminus is in Sandwich. Scusset Beach State Reservation lies near the canal's north entrance, and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy is near its south. A swift-running current changes direction every six hours and can reach 5.2 miles per hour (8.4 km/h) during the receding ebb tide.

The waterway is maintained by the United States Army Corps of Engineers and has no toll fees.^[3] It is spanned by the Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge, the Bourne Bridge, and the Sagamore Bridge. Traffic lights at either end govern the approach of vessels over 65 feet (20 m).

The canal is occasionally used by whales and dolphins,^[4] including endangered North Atlantic right whales, which can cause closure of the canal.^[5][6]