Message from the Executive Director

With maintenance work underway on the Bourne Bridge, Cape residents and visitors are once again reminded of the importance of our ability to travel over the Cape Cod Canal. Traffic at the bridges and around the canal is part of life on Cape Cod and is no longer confined to just the summer months. In the off-season, daily trip totals average about 90,000 across the canal, rising to about 130,000 daily bridge crossings in the summer months. These numbers include not only the vehicles of the people who visit our region but also the commercial vehicles that contain goods to fill our stores and service our businesses and restaurants – all of which drive our economy. They also include Cape-based commuters and off-Cape commuters who annually bring millions of dollars to our economy.

We recognize that the bridges, constructed over 80 years ago, are part of the Cape’s identity, but are also one of our greatest challenges. In March, for the first time, the Cape Cod Commission held a joint meeting with the Cape Cod Metropolitan Planning Organization. The boards were briefed on two important ongoing studies that will influence the future of travel to and from our region. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is looking at the adequacy of the bridges, considering whether to rehabilitate or replace them, and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation is examining options to improve road network issues on both sides of the canal. The outcome of these studies will have lasting implications and the Cape Cod Commission is monitoring progress of these studies and providing analysis and information to help lead to the best decision for Cape Cod communities and the region.

Additional resources can be found at www.capecodcommission.org/canal.