Cape Cod Canal

The Cape Cod Canal is an artificial waterway in the U.S. state of Massachusetts connecting Cape Cod Bay in the north to Buzzards Bay in the south.Part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, the approximately 7mi canal traverses the narrow neck of land joining Cape Cod to the state's mainland. Most of its length follows tidal rivers widened to 480ft and deepened to 32ft at mean low water, shaving 135mi off the journey around the Cape for its approximately 14,000 annual users.Most of the canal is located in Bourne, Massachusetts, but its northeastern terminus is in the town of Sandwich. Scusset Beach State Reservation lies near the canal's north entrance, the Massachusetts Maritime Academy near its south. A swift running current changes direction every six hours and can reach 5.2 mph during the receding ebb tide. The waterway is maintained by the United States Army Corps of Engineers and has no toll fees. It is spanned by the Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge and two highway bridges—the Bourne and the Sagamore. Traffic lights at either end govern the approach of vessels over 65ft.