Brightman Street Bridge
Fall River, MA
Massachusetts Department of Transportation
The project provided a new iconic bridge crossing of the Taunton River, recognized with Safety, Quality, and Construction Awards. This highly complex project overcame numerous challenges through a strong commitment to working as a true partner with MassDOT.
The new Brightman Street Bridge replaced an existing low clearance single leaf bascule bridge, that was well beyond its design life and prone to mechanical failures, with a four leaf bascule affording 60 feet of vertical clearance across a 200 foot wide main channel.
Tub girders support over 2,500 feet of approach spans as well as two additional bridges totalling over 800 feet, that form the interchange with Route 79. Half a mile of new roadway connects the west approach to existing Route 6 in Somerset, with a new ramp system at Riverside Avenue for local traffic access.
In total, 2 miles of new roadway was put in to service. MSE walls were used extensively and included the first use of synthetic wall straps, to resist the corrosive saltwater environment, on a public project in Massachusetts.
