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434:. The falls of the river, which the city is named for, were channeled into tunnels which lead directly into the Taunton River. Also, because of the right-of-way of the bridge, a portion of the river upstream was narrowed (and in one spot, divided in half), changing the characteristics of the river. Plans have sporadically appeared to recreate the falls near the bridge, though none have ever materialized. Another change caused by the path of the bridge was the replacement of the former City Hall with the current
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scheduled for completion in June 2011. The estimated cost for the project at one time was $ 13.3 million. Construction work has expanded and continued into 2015 as part of the overall $ 197-million Route 79/Braga Bridge
Improvement Project. Construction-related detours and delays were expected through at least the summer of 2016. In October 2016, all lanes of the bridge were open for travel and construction was finished.
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In the late summer of 2009, a vote was held for the public 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 original color), light blue, and silver. The work began on the new paint job April 11, 2010, and was originally
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With a total span of 5,780 feet (1,760 m), and standing 135 feet (41 m) over high water in the
Taunton River, the Braga Bridge easily accommodates the high-traffic shipping lane in the river. It is approximately 101 feet (31 m) wide, enough for six lanes of traffic. The Braga Bridge
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2010 mentioned in the popular
Hollywood film "The Town" starring Ben Affleck. In a scene with Jeremy Renner, it's mentioned about the portagee slide. Locals refer to it as such because, the portagee slide is the longest bridge in the world, it goes from Somerset Massachusetts to Portugal. In
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additive that resists water seepage to reduce cracking. Originally scheduled for completion in 2005, the end of the project was first rescheduled for 2006 because of delays associated with the nearby
Government Center project along
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379:(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
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and other views from across the
Taunton River often include the bridge, given its central location in the geography of the city. Given its role as a part of
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The building of the Braga Bridge changed the city of Fall River in several ways. Firstly, its location caused large scale alterations to the
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began what was to be a three-year, $ 9 million rehabilitation of the Braga Bridge. The new top concrete layer of roadway was given a
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actuality, it goes from
Somerset to Fall River Mass. Fall River was and still is heavily settled by immigrants from Portugal
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386:. Construction crews repaired and repainted structural steel along the length of the mile-long span, a new concrete
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281:. At just over a mile long, The Braga Bridge spans 1.25 miles (2.01 km) and is one of the longest bridges in
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The bridge itself is now seen as one of the icons of the city, often shown in the background of photographs of
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closed the highway for a week at the end of the bridge, causing traffic delays throughout the entire region.
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Planning began in the early 1950s for a new bridge to ease the congestion of the nearby
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was built in the center median, and "suicide fences" were built along the span.
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595:"Braga Bridge getting a new blue paint job - Fall River, MA - the Herald News"
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621:"Painting will put the squeeze on Braga Bridge project until next year"
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Bradford Durfee
Textile School/Bradford Durfee College of Technology
659:"Construction on the Braga Bridge to cause more detours and delays"
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As the Braga Bridge approached its 25th anniversary in 1989, the
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Steve
Anderson's Bostonroads.com: Charles Braga Bridge (I-195)
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Braga Bridge from
Somerset, MA, with its 2011 blue paint job
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Buildings and structures in Fall River, Massachusetts
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636:"Braga Bridge Restoration causes traffic for miles"
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18:Bridge in Somerset and Fall River, Massachusetts
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1131:Interstate 195 (Rhode Island-Massachusetts)
1060:List of mayors of Fall River, Massachusetts
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1366:Warren truss bridges in the United States
1356:Bridges on the Interstate Highway System
1341:Bridges in Bristol County, Massachusetts
377:Massachusetts Department of Public Works
840:B.M.C. Durfee High School 1886 building
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172:254 feet (77 m) (Height of towers)
1239:Diman Regional Vocational Technical HS
584:Fall River Herald News, March 18, 1953
515:List of crossings of the Taunton River
855:Downtown Fall River Historic District
572:"Our View: The Braga Bridge turns 50"
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1288:St. Anne's Church and Parish Complex
1283:Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River
694:Charles M. Braga Jr. Memorial Bridge
243:Charles M. Braga Jr. Memorial Bridge
553:MassHighway Charles M. Braga Bridge
326:, as well as to carry the proposed
309:The Braga Bridge under construction
144:with verticals. Approach spans are
1361:Steel bridges in the United States
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885:Lower Highlands Historic District
226:80,000 - 100,000 vehicles per day
1065:Humberto Sousa Cardinal Medeiros
959:Freetown-Fall River State Forest
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367:spans 1.2 miles (2 kilometers)
1326:Bridges over the Taunton River
1126:Fall River Heritage State Park
900:Pocasset Manufacturing Company
657:Spence, Colin (May 27, 2015).
634:Yocono, Brian (May 31, 2015).
354:descent who was killed in the
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1346:Road bridges in Massachusetts
875:Great Fall River fire of 1928
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442:and several buildings of the
426:The eastern end of the bridge
1293:Notre Dame de Lourdes Church
1121:Fall River Government Center
747:Charles M. Braga, Jr. Bridge
467:Fall River Government Center
436:Fall River Government Center
1136:Marine Museum at Fall River
880:Highlands Historic District
850:Corky Row Historic District
124:Charles M. Braga Jr. Bridge
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418:Role in Fall River history
1321:Bridges completed in 1965
1244:Bristol Community College
1227:Fall River Public Schools
1101:Al Mac's Diner-Restaurant
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830:American Printing Company
814:Fall River, Massachusetts
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156:5,780 feet (1,760 m)
115:Fall River, Massachusetts
66:41.7065611°N 71.1656972°W
30:
525:Veterans Memorial Bridge
510:United States portal
463:Providence, Rhode Island
336:Veterans Memorial Bridge
324:Brightman Street Bridges
287:Providence, Rhode Island
273:, near the mouth of the
164:101.3 feet (30.9 m)
138:Continuous through truss
729:Brightman Street Bridge
558:March 11, 2007, at the
520:Brightman Street Bridge
277:at the confluence with
71:41.7065611; -71.1656972
1183:St. Joseph's Orphanage
498:Engineering portal
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356:attack on Pearl Harbor
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140:, single intersection
910:The Skeleton in Armor
865:Fall River Iron Works
601:on September 10, 2009
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1298:St. Patrick's Church
905:Slade's Ferry Bridge
486:Transport portal
265:between the town of
255:through truss bridge
245:, also known as the
190:135 feet (41 m)
1005:Nathaniel B. Borden
860:Fall River Railroad
352:Portuguese American
328:Cape Cod Expressway
62: /
1259:Bishop Connolly HS
954:Fall River granite
915:Truesdale Hospital
895:Oak Grove Cemetery
835:Battle of Freetown
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1264:Notre Dame School
1156:King Philip Mills
1020:Charlie Buffinton
995:Mariano S. Bishop
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710:Crossings of the
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200:Construction cost
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1232:B.M.C. Durfee HS
1163:New Harbour Mall
1096:Academy Building
1040:John W. Cummings
1025:James Buffington
969:Quequechan River
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269:and the city of
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129:Characteristics
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289:, Fall River,
279:Mount Hope Bay
259:Interstate 195
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283:Massachusetts
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263:Taunton River
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121:Official name
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57:71°09′56.51″W
54:41°42′23.62″N
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1146:Durfee Mills
1111:Braga Bridge
1050:Chris Herren
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663:. Retrieved
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640:. Retrieved
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603:. Retrieved
599:the original
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250:
247:Braga Bridge
246:
242:
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203:$ 22 million
177:Longest span
153:Total length
142:Warren truss
25:Braga Bridge
15:
1151:Flint Mills
1080:Melvin Zais
1045:Orin Fowler
733:(formerly)
444:Union Mills
348:New Bedford
291:New Bedford
69: /
44:Coordinates
1315:Categories
1075:Jerry Remy
1070:Joe Raposo
922:Fall River
758:Downstream
699:Structurae
661:. WPRI.com
638:. WPRI.com
531:References
440:Troy Mills
381:bituminous
344:Providence
314:Beginnings
271:Fall River
216:Statistics
211:1966, 1989
1220:Education
947:Geography
920:USS
665:August 5,
642:August 5,
605:April 11,
330:over the
261:over the
251:The Braga
1276:Religion
1178:Route 24
731:(closed)
725:Upstream
556:Archived
473:See also
459:Cape Cod
446:complex
384:concrete
295:Cape Cod
267:Somerset
231:Location
111:Somerset
822:History
340:Wareham
301:History
253:, is a
195:History
97:Crosses
82:Carries
1253:Closed
1089:Places
988:People
293:, and
208:Opened
169:Height
134:Design
107:Locale
1192:Media
404:I-195
399:latex
161:Width
91:I-195
1211:WSAR
1206:WHTB
667:2015
644:2015
607:2010
346:and
322:and
241:The
113:and
696:at
1317::
539:^
358:.
297:.
799:e
792:t
785:v
669:.
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623:.
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574:.
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