1965,1989 I-195 Braga Bridge over Taunton River at Fall River, MA

(Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite)

The Bragda Bridge is the cantilevered bridge in the background.

Street View

I tried getting a street view from the drawbridge in the foreground in the above image, but Google Maps would not switch to street view mode when I zoomed in. When I tried "driving" onto the bridge from Riverside Ave, I discovered that bridge is closed.

Street View

Bridges Now and Then posted
The Charles M. Braga Bridge over the Taunton River between the town of Somerset and the city of Fall River, Massachusetts. This photo would date between August 14, 1965, when USS Massachusetts was anchored at Battleship Cove, and opening day of the bridge, April 15, 1966. (Herald News Archives)
James Torgeson shared
Bethlehem Steel and US Steel meet at Fall River! The American Bridge Division of US Steel is building the Braga Bridge while the Bethlehem Quincy-built battleship USS Massachusetts (BB-59) looks on.

Bridges Now and Then posted
Braga Bridge construction, Fall River, Massachusetts, May 29, 1964. (Digital Commonwealth)

Bridges Now and Then posted
Braga Bridge construction, Fall River, Massachusetts, 1964. (The Herald News)

Dave Frieder commented on the above post
One of American Bridge Inc. early works was the Hell Gate Bridge. One physically difficult bridge to climb and photograph.

Jul 2016 Photo by Christopher Finigan via BridgeHunter

Battleship Cove posted via Dennis DeBruler

Dave Blaze Rail Photography posted

Beneath The Braga

Mass Coastal Railroad's Taunton based train MC-3 is working in the compact little Wharf Yard tucked up beneath the shadow of the massive Braga Bridge down by Battleship Cove as they pull and spot loads of flour on the State Pier.  The cars are transloaded here and trucked a couple miles south to the Gold Medal Bakery because the tracks that pass directly beside the plant are OOS beyond Ferry Street. 

Looming above is the 1.25 mile long Charles M. Braga Jr. Memorial Bridge which carries Interstate 195 over the Taunton River at its confluence with Mount Hope Bay.  Opened in 1966 the top of its towers rise 254 ft [75m] above the water and the bridge provides 135 ft [41m] of clearance beneath for vessels.  Connecting the town of Somerset with Fall River it is the second largest bridge in the state topped only by the Tobin Bridge carry US Route 1 over the Mystic River between Boston and Chelsea. 

Located on the Taunton River along Water Street, the Fall River State Pier has two deep water berths and on dock rail and a 96,000 square foot terminal building.  Owned by the commonwealth it has been operated under contract by the not for profit Fall River Line Pier Company since 1946.

In charge this day are a pair of rebuilt GP38-3s, LTEX 3815 and MC 2012. The former began life in Jun. 1965 as a GP35 for the Santa Fe numbered 1388.  It was renumbered ATSF 3388 and painted into the yellow bonnet scheme in the early 1970 and then was remanufactured into a GP35u at Cleburne in Apr. 1983. In 1998 it was patched and renumbered BNSF 2888 which it kept until leaving the roster for Larry's Truck and Electric in 2015. The latter traces its roots back to Oct. 1966 as a GP40 for the Milwaukee Road numbered 199.  It later passed to the Soo Line and then after retirement was derated and rebuilt as a lease unit numbered GMTX 2685 and then after that spent time working for BNSF before coming here about a year ago in July 2022. 

Fall River, Massachusetts

Wednesday June 11, 2025