Bourne Bridge - Cape Cod, MA - WPA Projects on Waymarking.com

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There are only two bridges across the Cape Cod Canal offering access to and from Cape Cod, the Bourne Bridge and it's twin, the Sagamore Bridge about a mile and a half north. The traffic backs up for miles on weekends, especially during the summer.

The Bourne Bridge connects traffic from I-495 and 25 on the mainland to Route 28 in Falmouth.

After the first bridge, completed in 1914 by a private individual proved inadequate and unprofitable, the Army Corps of Engineers was given the task of widening the canal and building new bridges. The canal widening project was a Work Progress Administration (WPA) project. The Corps completed a major renovation of the bridge in 1980, and still is charged with its maintenance.

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The four-lane bridge carries 45,000 vehicles per day, though this is probably doubled during the summer and on weekends. There is also a four-foot pedestrian walkway.

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A bit of history from Mt. Holyoke College

On March 31, 1928, Congress directed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to implement as series of improvements, including the replacement of the three bridges. The Corps selected two land areas that were naturally elevated in order to accommodate large sea going vessels. The vertical clearance was 135 feet, and a horizontal clearance of 480 feet. The existing railroad tracks made it impractical to relocate the railroad bridge. The Corps selected a vertical lift bridge design allowing for the same clearance as the highway bridges.

The Public Works Administration, the group responsible for managing Emergency Relief funds during the Great Depression, authorized the construction of the three bridges on September 6, 1933. The National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933 provided 4.6 million dollars in federal funding. In accordance with PWA regulations, work was distributed widely and employed about 700 workers.

The Sagamore and Bourne highway bridges that exist today were created simultaneously as work began in December 1933. The Sagamore Bridge was constructed about two and one half miles from the eastern end of the Canal. The Bourne Bridge was constructed about one mile from the western end of the Canal. The bridges have a horizontal span of 616 feet and a vertical clearance of 135 feet above water. They are designed for four lane highway traffic as the roadway width remains 40 feet. The total cost 3.4 million dollars.

For more detailed information and history, here are two good resources.

Boston Roads

Massachusetts Historical Commission

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Project type: Bridge Date built or created: 1933-1935 Location: Cape Cod Canal City: Buzzards Bay - Falmouth Condition: Good upkeep with a little wear and tear Website for additional information: [Web Link]

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