The Charles M. Braga Jr. Memorial Bridge, also known as the Braga Bridge, or simply, The Braga, is a

through truss bridge A truss bridge is a bridge whose load-bearing superstructure is composed of a truss, a structure of connected elements, usually forming triangular units. The connected elements, typically straight, may be stressed from tension, compression, or s ...

that carries Interstate 195 over the

Taunton River The Taunton River, historically also called the Taunton Great River, is a river in southeastern Massachusetts in the United States. It arises from the confluence of the Town River and Matfield River, in the town of Bridgewater. From there it ...

between the town of

Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...

and the city of Fall River, near the mouth of the

Quequechan River The Quequechan River is a river in Fall River, Massachusetts, that flows in a northwesterly direction from the northwest corner of the South Watuppa Pond through the heart of the city of Fall River and into the end of the Taunton River at ...

at the confluence with

Mount Hope Bay Mount Hope Bay is a tidal estuary located at the mouth of the Taunton River on the Massachusetts and Rhode Island border. It is an arm of Narragansett Bay. The bay is named after Mount Hope, a small hill located on its western shore in what is ...

. At just over a mile long, The Braga Bridge spans and is one of the longest bridges in

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

. Opened to traffic on April 15, 1966, it provides an important link between

Providence, Rhode Island Providence () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Rhode Island, most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The county seat of Providence County, Rhode Island, Providence County, it is o ...

, Fall River,

New Bedford New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast (Massachusetts), South Coast region. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, New Bedford had a ...

, and

Cape Cod Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer months. The ...

History

Beginnings

Planning began in the early 1950s for a new bridge to ease the congestion of the nearby Slade's Ferry and

Brightman Street Bridge The Brightman Street Bridge is a long, four-lane wide drawbridge spanning the Taunton River between the town of Somerset and the city of Fall River, Massachusetts. It was authorized in 1903 by the state legislature, and building took place b ...

s, as well as to carry the proposed Cape Cod Expressway over the

. The original plan called for a "high level bridge" to be located much further north, near what is now the Veterans Memorial Bridge, with a highway passing through the north end of the city in a direct line to Wareham. In 1959, the role of the new bridge was changed to carrying the new Interstate 195 over the Taunton River, connecting

Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in some religions * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...

and

. Construction of the bridge started in 1959 and finished in the spring of 1966. The bridge was named after Charles M. Braga, a Fall River native of

Portuguese American Portuguese Americans (), also known as Luso-Americans (''luso-americanos''), are citizens and residents of the United States who are connected to the country of Portugal by birth, ancestry, or citizenship. Americans and others who are not nativ ...

descent who was killed in the

attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Empire of Japan on the United States Pacific Fleet at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, its naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Territory of ...

Specifications

With a total span of , and standing over high water in the Taunton River, the Braga Bridge easily accommodates the high-traffic shipping lane in the river. It is approximately wide, enough for six lanes of traffic. The Braga Bridge spans 1.2 miles (2 kilometers)

Recent history

As the Braga Bridge approached its 25th anniversary in 1989, the

Massachusetts Department of Public Works The Massachusetts Highway Department (abbreviated MassHighway) was the List of U.S. state and insular area departments of transportation, highway department in the U.S. state of Massachusetts from 1991 until the formation of the Massachusetts Dep ...

(MassDPW) undertook a comprehensive two-year rehabilitation of the span and approaches. The project included the replacement of the existing deck with a new lightweight deck overlaid with

bituminous Bitumen ( , ) is an immensely viscous constituent of petroleum. Depending on its exact composition, it can be a sticky, black liquid or an apparently solid mass that behaves as a liquid over very large time scales. In American English, the m ...

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bound together with a fluid cement that cures to a solid over time. It is the second-most-used substance (after water), the most–widely used building material, and the most-manufactur ...

. Construction crews repaired and repainted structural steel along the length of the mile-long span, a new concrete

Jersey barrier A Jersey barrier, Jersey wall, or Jersey bump is a modular concrete or plastic barrier employed to separate lanes of traffic. It is designed to minimize vehicle damage in cases of incidental contact while still preventing vehicle crossovers resu ...

was built in the center median, and "suicide fences" were built along the span. In 2003, the

Massachusetts Highway Department The Massachusetts Highway Department (abbreviated MassHighway) was the highway department in the U.S. state of Massachusetts from 1991 until the formation of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) in 2009. The responsibilities ...

began what was to be a three-year, $9 million rehabilitation of the Braga Bridge. The new top concrete layer of roadway was given a

latex Latex is an emulsion (stable dispersion) of polymer microparticles in water. Latices are found in nature, but synthetic latices are common as well. In nature, latex is found as a wikt:milky, milky fluid, which is present in 10% of all floweri ...

additive that resists water seepage to reduce cracking. Originally scheduled for completion in 2005, the end of the project was first rescheduled for 2006 because of delays associated with the nearby Government Center project along

I-195 Interstate 195 (I-195) is the designation for the following six existing Interstate Highways in the United States, all of which are related to I-95: *Interstate 195 (Maine), a spur in Saco *Interstate 195 (Maryland), a spur to BWI Airport *Intersta ...

in Fall River. In the late summer of 2009, a vote was held for the public to decide on a new color for the bridge. Over 7,000 votes were cast, with voters choosing a dark blue color over lime green (the original color), light blue, and silver. The work began on the new paint job April 11, 2010, and was originally scheduled for completion in June 2011. The estimated cost for the project at one time was $13.3 million. Construction work has expanded and continued into 2015 as part of the overall $197-million Route 79/Braga Bridge Improvement Project. Construction-related detours and delays were expected through at least the summer of 2016. In October 2016, all lanes of the bridge were open for travel and construction was finished.

Role in Fall River history

The building of the Braga Bridge changed the city of Fall River in several ways. Firstly, its location caused large scale alterations to the

. The falls of the river, which the city is named for, were channeled into tunnels which lead directly into the Taunton River. Also, because of the right-of-way of the bridge, a portion of the river upstream was narrowed (and in one spot, divided in half), changing the characteristics of the river. Plans have sporadically appeared to recreate the falls near the bridge, though none have ever materialized. Another change caused by the path of the bridge was the replacement of the former City Hall with the current Fall River Government Center, the first government building built over an interstate. Several other streets in the city were also realigned due to the construction of the highway, as well as the removal of the historic Granite Block, Troy Mills and several buildings of the

Union Mills Union Mills () is a village in the parish of Braddan on the A1, the primary road which connects Douglas and Peel in the Isle of Man, close to the River Dhoo. History The village was known from 1511 as (The Mill on the Black Ford). In 1807 ...

complex The bridge itself is now seen as one of the icons of the city, often shown in the background of photographs of

Battleship Cove Battleship Cove is a nonprofit maritime museum and war memorial in Fall River, Massachusetts, United States. Featuring the world's largest collection of World War II-era naval vessels, it is home to the highly-decorated battleship . It is locate ...

and other views from across the Taunton River often include the bridge, given its central location in the geography of the city. Given its role as a part of Interstate 195, it is a landmark along the route for many vacationers towards

. It is also a vital link in the area's transportation network, as it is the main route joining the South Coast region with

. This was never as apparent as in March 1999, when falling cement acoustical tiles from under the nearby Fall River Government Center closed the highway for a week at the end of the bridge, causing traffic delays throughout the entire region.

References

External links

Steve Anderson's Bostonroads.com: Charles Braga Bridge (I-195)

Bostonroads.com
* {{FallRiverMA Bridges completed in 1965 Bridges over the Taunton River Buildings and structures in Fall River, Massachusetts Continuous truss bridges in the United States Bridges in Bristol County, Massachusetts Road bridges in Massachusetts Interstate 95 Bridges on the Interstate Highway System Steel bridges in the United States Warren truss bridges in the United States