Cape Cod Traffic: Avoid Traffic on the Bridges

Traffic on the Cape Cod bridges is inevitable at certain times of the day, but luckily, you can avoid it all together. How? First, just plan your trip on days that bridge traffic is slow. Plan to make your way over the bridge either late at night or early in the morning. In between Memorial Day and Columbus Day, traffic can be backed up for miles to Plymouth, not to mention Route 3 can also come to a slow crawl at times. To avoid the Cape Cod bridge traffic, just plan never cross the bridge between around 9am-10pm.

In the off season, bridge traffic is rarely an issue. And no, there is no Cape Cod Bridge Tunnel, as much as that would be nice sometimes. Of the two bridges, usually the Bourne Bridge has less traffic. It can be accessed via Route 495, and brings you closer to the Falmouth-west Bourne region of the Cape. The Sagamore Bridge will bring you to Route 6, which is the main highway of the Cape. Take it if you're heading to towns like Sandwich, Hyannis, Osterville, Mashpee, Yarmouth, Barnstable, Dennis, and all points east.

On the southern side of the Cape Cod Canal lies the Bourne Bridge. This bridge is the lesser traveled of the two automobile bridges that span the canal, and could be a life saver if you're headed to the Cape during peak travel times. This bridge, like the Sagamore, was built in 1933 and was completed in 1935. Access to the bridge can be reached via Route 6, and also via Route 495 (or Route 25, as you travel further south).

The Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge is mainly used for transport of waste to the Rochester based SEMASS facility, and also for scenic dinner train ride. The railway departs from Bourne, and ends in Hyannis on this ride. To see the Railroad Bridge up close, follow Route 6 in Bourne to Buzzards Bay. Along Canal St., you can find ample parking right near the base of the bridge. You can also catch a glimpse of the bridge along Academy Drive, which also has plenty of parking alongside the canal.