Canso Causeway

causeway, Nova Scotia, Canada

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July 17, 2026

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The Canso Causeway is a 7,000-foot (2,100-metre) structure in Nova Scotia, Canada, that connects Cape Breton Island to the mainland. Completed in 1955, it carries traffic for both the Trans-Canada Highway and the Canadian National Railway. The causeway spans the Strait of Canso, a channel separating Cape Breton Island from mainland Nova Scotia and connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Northumberland Strait. A navigation lock within the causeway can accommodate most oceangoing vessels. The name "Canso" originates from the Mi'kmaq word kamsok, meaning "beyond the cliffs".123

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Strait of Canso
Since 1955 the 7,000-foot (2,100-metre) Canso Causeway, carrying rail and Trans-Canada Highway traffic, has linked Cape Breton Island with the mainland; a navigation lock is capable of handling most oceangoing vessels. Chief towns on the strait are Port Hawkesbury and Mulgrave. Canso is derived from the Mi’kmaq Indian kamsok, translated…
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Since 1955 the 7,000-foot (2,100-metre) Canso Causeway, carrying rail and Trans-Canada Highway traffic, has linked Cape Breton Island with the mainland; a navigation lock is capable of handling most oceangoing vessels. Chief towns on the strait are Port Hawkesbury and Mulgrave. Canso is derived from the Mi’kmaq Indian kamsok, translated…
Read More