Cape Cod Canal- Buzzards Bay, MA

At least once a year I stroll down the bike path at the Cape Cod Canal. Admittedly it is much more pleasant in the summer, but the views are stunning year round. Sailboats glide by, cormorants dive, and the sun predictably and dramatically sets behind the iconic Railroad Bridge. In my opinion, no trip to the Cape is complete without a Canal visit.

While the idea of constructing a canal through the isthmus of Cape Cod dates back to the Pilgrims, actual construction was delayed a few centuries until 1909. While everyone saw the benefit of a nautical shortcut, especially those shipping goods between New York and Boston, joining two rivers to create a navigable waterway is no easy task. However, technological advances made it marginally easier by the 1900s, as did the backing of industrialist August Belmont, Jr.

Belmont, the wildly wealthy grandson of Commodore Perry, had recently financed New York City’s first underground subway, the Interborough Rapid Transit Company. He saw nothing but profit in a toll canal, and lifted the first shovel himself on June 22, 1909. However, construction did not go smoothly. Winter weather and Ice Age boulders slowed the dredging process. It ultimately took five years and a lot of dynamite for the two ends to meet.

Belmont returned, ceremoniously blending water from the two bays before the final dyke was removed. On July 29, 1914, the Cape Cod Canal officially opened for business. Belmont’s own 81 foot yacht, the Scout, was among the first ships to sail the canal. It was however only partially complete. It was a full 10 feet shy of its charter depth of 25 feet, but Belmont was in a rush to receive revenue. It took two more years before the channel was actually finished.

The canal was less than a success. The seven mile long narrow channel was difficult to navigate; a swift 5.2 mph current frequently drove ships into bridge footings. Additionally, the $16 dollar toll was considered too pricey by many, who continued to sail around the Cape. The canal was a financial failure. While it was briefly taken over by the government during World War I, it remained a private venture until 1928, when Belmont sold the canal to the government for $11.5 million. It cost $16 million to build.

Immediately the Corp of Engineers set out to improve the canal with WPA funding. They increased both the width and the depth, making it immediately more navigable. The existing highway bridges were removed, and replaced with fixed height steel structures ships could sail under. Built simultaneously, both the Bourne and Sagamore bridges were dedicated on June 22, 1935. Although they appear to me as the exact same bridge, the Bourne was somehow deemed the standout, and was honored with the coveted American Institute of Steel Construction’s “Most Beautiful Bridge Built During 1934” award.

The Railroad Bridge presented more of a challenge. The grade required for train passage would not allow for the construction of a fixed span bridge. Two New York City firms were brought in to solve this dilemma. This collaboration resulted in the vertical lift beauty you see today. Two 271 foot towers, containing 1100 ton counter weights, support a 544 foot horizontal span weighing 2200 tons. At a raised height of 135 feet, ships could sail under the bridge, while it could be easily lowered for rail traffic. On December 29, 1935 the bridge opened for business, with a passenger train from Boston to Hyannis being the first to cross the lowered span. At the time it was built it was the longest vertical lift span bridge in the world, and considered an engineering marvel.

Today the Cape Cod Canal sees about 20,000 annual users. There are daily sight seeing cruises in the summer, including a wildly popular sunset booze cruise. There are dinner trains that cross the lowered railroad bridge before taking you on a scenic Cape adventure. A service road doubles as a hike/bike trail, allowing you to run,walk or bike the entire length of the canal. It is also a great place to bird watch, as the canal is home to cormorants, loons, gulls and herons. And of course there is fishing, with trophy sized bass migrating through the canal. Just don’t try to swim across it, you’ll probably drown.