Charles M. Braga, Jr. Bridge
Encyclopedia
At just over a mile long, the Braga Bridge , also known as the Charles M. Braga Jr. Memorial Bridge, is one of the longest bridge structures in Massachusetts
. It carries Interstate 195
over the Taunton River
between the town of Somerset
and the city of Fall River
.
. The total span of the bridge is 5780 feet (1,761.7 m), and it goes 135 feet (41.1 m) over high water in the Taunton River to accommodate a high-traffic shipping lane in the river. It is approximately 101 feet (30.8 m) wide, wide enough to accommodate six lanes of traffic. It is named after Charles M. Braga, a Fall River native of Portuguese American
descent who died in the attack on Pearl Harbor
.
As the Braga Bridge approached its 25th anniversary in 1989, the Massachusetts Department of Public Works (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 concrete
. Construction crews repaired and repainted structural steel along the length of the mile-long span, a new concrete Jersey barrier
was built in the center median, and "suicide fences" were built along the span.
In 2003, the Massachusetts Highway Department
began what was to be a three-year, $9 million rehabilitation of the Braga Bridge. The scope of the work was similar to that of the 1989–1990 project, but the new top concrete layer of roadway was given a latex
additive that resists water seepage and thus reduces cracking. Originally scheduled for completion in 2005, the end of the project was first re-scheduled for 2006 because of delays associated with the nearby Government Center project along I-195
in Fall River.
In the late summer of 2009, a vote was held for SouthCoast residents 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 current color), light blue, and silver. The work began on the new paint job began on April 11, 2010, and is scheduled for completion in June 2011. The estimated cost for the project is $13.3 million.It is still not finished>
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. It carries Interstate 195
Interstate 195 (Rhode Island-Massachusetts)
Interstate 195 is an Interstate Highway running a combined 40.1 miles in the U.S. states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It travels from a junction with Interstate 95 in Providence, Rhode Island east to a junction with Interstate 495 and Route 25 in Wareham, Massachusetts...
over the Taunton River
Taunton River
The Taunton 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...
between the town of Somerset
Somerset, Massachusetts
Somerset is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 18,234 at the 2000 census. It is the birthplace and hometown of Clifford Milburn Holland , the chief engineer and namesake of the Holland Tunnel in New York City....
and the city of Fall River
Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and west of New Bedford and south of Taunton. The city's population was 88,857 during the 2010 census, making it the tenth largest city in...
.
History
Construction of the bridge started in 1959 and finished in the spring of 1966. The bridge was constructed to carry I-195 across the Taunton River on its way west to ProvidenceProvidence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
. The total span of the bridge is 5780 feet (1,761.7 m), and it goes 135 feet (41.1 m) over high water in the Taunton River to accommodate a high-traffic shipping lane in the river. It is approximately 101 feet (30.8 m) wide, wide enough to accommodate six lanes of traffic. It is named after Charles M. Braga, a Fall River native of Portuguese American
Portuguese American
Portuguese Americans are citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates in the southwest European nation of Portugal, including the offshore island groups of the Azores and Madeira....
descent who died in the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
.
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
. Construction crews repaired and repainted structural steel along the length of the mile-long span, a new concrete Jersey barrier
Jersey barrier
A Jersey barrier or Jersey wall is a modular concrete barrier employed to separate lanes of traffic. It is designed to both minimize vehicle damage in cases of incidental contact while still preventing crossover in the case of head-on accidents....
was built in the center median, and "suicide fences" were built along the span.
In 2003, the Massachusetts Highway Department
Massachusetts Highway Department
The Massachusetts Highway Department was the former name of the highway department in the United States Commonwealth of Massachusetts from 1991 until it became the highway division of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation on November 1, 2009...
began what was to be a three-year, $9 million rehabilitation of the Braga Bridge. The scope of the work was similar to that of the 1989–1990 project, but the new top concrete layer of roadway was given a latex
Latex
Latex is the stable dispersion of polymer microparticles in an aqueous medium. Latexes may be natural or synthetic.Latex as found in nature is a milky fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants . It is a complex emulsion consisting of proteins, alkaloids, starches, sugars, oils, tannins, resins,...
additive that resists water seepage and thus reduces cracking. Originally scheduled for completion in 2005, the end of the project was first re-scheduled for 2006 because of delays associated with the nearby Government Center project along I-195
Interstate 195 (Rhode Island-Massachusetts)
Interstate 195 is an Interstate Highway running a combined 40.1 miles in the U.S. states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It travels from a junction with Interstate 95 in Providence, Rhode Island east to a junction with Interstate 495 and Route 25 in Wareham, Massachusetts...
in Fall River.
In the late summer of 2009, a vote was held for SouthCoast residents 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 current color), light blue, and silver. The work began on the new paint job began on April 11, 2010, and is scheduled for completion in June 2011. The estimated cost for the project is $13.3 million.It is still not finished>