Cape Cod Canal, Massachusetts, a waterway across the Cape Cod peninsula, joining Buzzards Bay and Cape Cod Bay. It shortens the route between New York City and Boston by 75 miles (120 km). The need for a canal was felt in colonial times, but work was delayed until 1909. The canal was built by private capital and opened in 1914. It was purchased by the United States government in 1928 and made a part of the Intracoastal Waterway. The canal is about eight miles (13 km) long; including the channel approaches, the length is 17.5 miles (28 km).