Cape Cod’s Sagamore and Bourne Bridges Were Originally Tight-Squeeze Drawbridges

As conversations continue about replacing the aging Sagamore Bridge and Bourne Bridge that connect Cape Cod to mainland Massachusetts, let’s take a look back at the bridges those bridges had replaced.

While the current bridges have arched over the Cape Cod Canal for just about 90 years now, the previous bridges only served traffic for a little over 20 years.

The original Sagamore and Bourne bridges were actually drawbridges, while the railroad bridge back then was a vascular lift bridge. The drawbridges each sat 41 feet above the main sea level of the canal, so they didn’t have to open all the time; however, the railroad bridge only cleared seven feet above the water.

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The more difficult part of the drawbridge approach was just that – the approach. The bridges needed so much space on the approach to the portion that opened that once the sides of the drawbridge were in the upright position, boats only had 140 feet of clearance between the two sides. That was pretty narrow, even for the smaller boats of the day.

There is film footage that exists that shows us exactly how tight of a space it was. The footage was filmed by George Jenkins, Sr. of Monument Beach back in 1927, and made available to the public by his son, George “Jay” Jenkins, Jr. of Pocasset.

It was uploaded to the Capecast YouTube channel, a division of the Cape Cod Times, back in July 2014. In the video, Samantha Gray of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers provides some historical context for what is seen in the footage.

You may not be aware that until 1928, the Cape Cod Canal was privately owned by August Belmont II, the man who financed its creation as well as the bridges that spanned it. He operated the canal as a toll waterway, meaning boaters paid a toll to utilize it and shorten their journey by avoiding the long trip around the Cape.

“However, the original Canal never achieved the level of traffic or revenue its investors had envisioned,” the Army Corps of Engineers wrote on its website. “Several serious accidents caused lengthy Canal closures and mariners began to fear the swift currents and narrow bridge openings. Ultimately, Belmont’s Canal was a financial failure.”

The River and Harbors Act of 1927 authorized the federal government to purchase the canal from Belmont, which then eliminated the tolls.

As part of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s “New Deal” program, the canal was widened and the current Bourne, Sagamore and railroad bridges built between 1933 and 1935. Those bridges span 616 feet across and clear 135 feet above the water.

These days, you can see decent-sized cruise ships and barges going through the canal. Those never would have been able to squeeze through in the drawbridge days. Plus, if you think traffic is backed up over the current bridges, imagine what it would be like if you had to wait for a drawbridge to open and close as well.

By the way, you can still go out and see some of the original remnants of old Cape Cod Canal drawbridges.