7.7.2026 Flip the Switch: Braga Bridge Lighting Ceremony

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.

AI-generated summary. May contain errors. Watch the video to verify.