A ceremony was held to celebrate the official lighting of the Braga Bridge in Fall River with a new, modern LED system. The event, which was moved indoors due to rain, featured several speakers including Jonathan Gullver, the Under Secretary and State Highway Administrator; Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll; Interim MassDOT Secretary Phil Eng; Senator Michael Rodrigues; Representative Carol Fiola; and Fall River Mayor Coogan. The speakers highlighted the bridge’s significance as a key piece of infrastructure, carrying approximately 90,000 vehicles daily between Fall River and Somerset, and as an iconic landmark for the region. The project, which took three years for design and installation, replaces a lighting system from 1986 and is part of a broader effort to revitalize the Fall River waterfront, including the Route 79/Davol Street corridor project.
Representative Fiola explained that the lighting colors will be managed by the state according to a schedule on mass.gov, with blue being the default color on nights without a specific designation. The Mayor’s office will help coordinate local requests for special lightings. Several speakers, including Mayor Coogan, paid tribute to the bridge’s namesake, Charles Braga, a Fall River resident who was the first from the city to be killed in World War II at Pearl Harbor. The ceremony concluded with a countdown, after which the new lights on the Braga Bridge were officially switched on for the first time.
Topics discussed
- 0:07 · Braga Bridge Lighting Ceremony
A ceremony to celebrate the completion of a three-year project to install a new, modern LED lighting system on the Braga Bridge. - 1:22 · The new lighting system on the Braga Bridge was officially activated. — no_vote
The new lighting system on the Braga Bridge was officially activated. - 3:10 · History and Importance of Braga Bridge
Discussion of the bridge’s history, built in 1966, and its role connecting Fall River and Somerset, carrying over 90,000 vehicles daily. - 11:48 · Fall River Waterfront Development
The bridge lighting was discussed in the context of wider revitalization efforts, including the Davol Street project and the reconstruction of Route 79. - 14:32 · Bridge Lighting Policy and Schedule
Representative Fiola explained that the lighting colors are managed by the state via a schedule on mass.gov, with blue as the default color, and that the Mayor’s office will help coordinate local requests. - 16:32 · Tribute to Charles Braga
Multiple speakers honored the bridge’s namesake, Charles Braga, a Fall River resident killed at Pearl Harbor during World War II.