The Cape Cod Railroad Bridge is an iconic vertical lift bridge that continues to carry rail traffic across the Cape Cod Canal near the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay. Built in 1935, this working bridge allows freight trains to travel onto Cape Cod. At 544 feet long, the bridge’s towering 273-foot steel spans can be raised up to 135 feet to allow large vessels to pass beneath. Still in active use by railroads after over 85 years of operation, the Cape Cod Railroad Bridge remains an instantly recognizable industrial landmark in the region. Its rugged steel design stands in stark contrast against the natural backdrop of the canal and surrounding beaches when the bridge’s massive spans are raised to allow maritime traffic to pass underneath.

This photograph is a composite combining, in fourteen photographs, the path of the solar eclipse of June 10, 2024 as seen from Buzzards Bay and the Cape Cod Canal.